39 (A)However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner [a]for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release [b]for you the King of the Jews?” 40 So they shouted again, saying, “(B)Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a rebel.

The Crown of Thorns

19 So Pilate then took Jesus and [c](C)had Him flogged. (D)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a purple [d]cloak on Him; and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “(E)Hail, King of the Jews!” and (F)slapped Him in the face again and again. And then Pilate (G)came out again and *said to them, “See, I am bringing Him out to you so that you will know that (H)I find no grounds at all for charges in [e]His case.” Jesus then came out, (I)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the (J)officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for (K)I find no grounds for charges in [f]His case!” The Jews answered him, “(L)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He (M)made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he (N)entered the [g]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But (O)Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered him, (P)You would have no authority [h]over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason (Q)the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this, Pilate [i]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “(R)If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king [j]opposes Caesar!”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and (S)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [k]The Pavement—but (T)in [l]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was (U)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [m](V)sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, (W)your King!” 15 So they shouted, “(X)Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”

The Crucifixion

16 So he then (Y)handed Him over to them to be crucified.

Footnotes

  1. John 18:39 Or to you
  2. John 18:39 Or to you
  3. John 19:1 Lit flogged Him
  4. John 19:2 I.e., a Roman soldier’s cloak
  5. John 19:4 Lit Him
  6. John 19:6 Lit Him
  7. John 19:9 I.e., governor’s official residence
  8. John 19:11 Lit against
  9. John 19:12 Lit was seeking to
  10. John 19:12 Or speaks against
  11. John 19:13 Gr Lithostrotos
  12. John 19:13 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  13. John 19:14 I.e., about noon

39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.(A)

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified(B)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(C) The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(D) And they slapped him in the face.(E)

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out(F) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”(G) When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,(H) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.(I) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”(J)

The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,(K) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”(L)

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace.(M) “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.(N) 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(O) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(P) is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king(Q) opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat(R) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic(S) is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation(T) of the Passover; it was about noon.(U)

“Here is your king,”(V) Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(W)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(X)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.