² You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice,^[a](A)

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;^[a] even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,^[b] we no longer know him in that way.^(A)

²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.^{(A) 21} The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^[a] All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;^[b] see to it yourselves.”^{(B) 25} Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”^{(C) 26} So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.^(D)