²⁰ Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²² A third time he said to them, “Why? ^(A)What evil has he done? ^(B)I have found in him no guilt deserving death. ^(C)I will therefore punish and release him.” ²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison ^(D)for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, ^(E)but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^(A)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ^(B)“I find no guilt in him. ^39 (C)But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They cried out again, ^(D)“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.^[a]

^2 (A)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that ^(B)I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing ^(C)the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ^(D)“Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, ^(E)“Take him yourselves and crucify him, for ^(F)I find no guilt in him.”