Jesus or Barabbas

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,^{(A) 14} and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who misleads the people.^(B) But in fact, after examining him in your presence, I have found no grounds^(C) to charge this man with those things you accuse him of. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will have him whipped^[a](D) and then release him.”^[b]

¹⁸ Then^(E) they all cried out together, “Take this man away!^(F) Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus,^(G) Pilate addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

²² A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong?^(H) I have found in him no grounds^(I) for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him.”

²³ But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified, and their voices^[c] won out. ²⁴ So^(J) Pilate decided to grant their demand^{(K) 25} and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.^(L)

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ The^(A) soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence^(B)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple^(C) robe, twisted together a crown^(D) of thorns, and put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail,^(E) king^(F) of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,^(G) they were paying him homage. ²⁰ After they had mocked^(H) him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.

Crucified Between Two Criminals

They led him out to crucify him.

The Way to the Cross

²⁶ As^(A) they led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian,^(B) who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross^(C) on him to carry behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were mourning and lamenting him.^{(D) 28} But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem,^(E) do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. ²⁹ Look, the days are coming^(F) when they will say, ‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’^{(G) 30} Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ^{[a](H) 31} For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^(I)

Crucified Between Two Criminals

³² Two others—criminals^(J)—were also led away to be executed with him. ³³ When^(K) they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father,^(L) forgive^(M) them, because they do not know what they are doing.”^[b](N) And they divided his clothes and cast lots.^(O)

³⁵ The^(P) people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing:^(Q) “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” ^{(R) 36} The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine^{(S) 37} and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,^(T) save yourself!”

³⁸ An inscription was above him:^[c] This Is the King of the Jews.

³⁹ Then^(U) one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at^[d] him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰ But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God,^(V) since you are undergoing the same punishment? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”^{(W) 42} Then he said, “Jesus, remember me^[e](X) when you come into your kingdom.”^(Y)

⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^(Z)