^2 (A)Pilate questioned Him: “So You are the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” ³ And the chief priests started accusing Him ^[a]of many things. ⁴ But Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You offer nothing in answer? See how many charges they are bringing against You!” ⁵ But Jesus ^(B)said nothing further in answer, so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus before Pilate

^11 (A)Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “So You are the ^(B)King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “^(C)It is as you say.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, ^(D)He did not offer any answer. ¹³ Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” ¹⁴ And still ^(E)He did not answer him in regard to even a single ^[a]charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.

Jesus before Pilate

23 Then the entire assembly of them set out and ^(A)brought Him before Pilate. ^2 (B)And they began to bring charges against Him, saying, “We found this man ^(C)misleading our nation and ^(D)forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is ^[a]Christ, a King.” ³ Now Pilate asked Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “^(E)It is as you say.” ⁴ But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “^(F)I find no grounds for charges in the case of this man.” ⁵ But they kept on insisting, saying, “He is stirring up the people, teaching all over Judea, ^(G)starting from Galilee, as far as this place!”

⁶ Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to ^(H)Herod, ^[b]since he also was in Jerusalem ^[c]at this time.

Jesus before Herod

⁸ Now Herod was overjoyed when he saw Jesus; for ^(I)he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some ^[d]sign performed by Him. ⁹ And he questioned Him ^[e]at some length; but ^(J)He offered him no answer at all. ¹⁰ Now the chief priests and the scribes stood there, vehemently charging Him. ¹¹ And Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, ^(K)dressing Him in a brightly shining robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² And so ^(L)Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for previously, they had been enemies toward each other.

Jesus before Pilate

^28 (A)Then they *brought Jesus from ^(B)Caiaphas into ^(C)the ^[a]Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter ^(D)the ^[b]Praetorium, so that ^(E)they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. ^29 (F)Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?” ³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not ^[c]a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.” ³¹ So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not ^[d]permitted to put anyone to death.” ³² This happened so that ^(G)the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.

³³ Therefore Pilate ^(H)entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “^(I)You are the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Are you saying this ^[e]on your own, or did others tell you about Me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “^(J)My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not ^[f]of this realm.” ³⁷ Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “^(K)You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: ^(L)to testify to the truth. ^(M)Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” ³⁸ Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

And after saying this, he ^(N)came out again to the Jews and *said to them, “^(O)I find no grounds at all for charges in ^[g]His case. ^39 (P)However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner ^[h]for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release ^[i]for you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ So they shouted again, saying, “^(Q)Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a rebel.

^6 (A)Now at the Passover Feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. ⁷ And the one named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the revolt. ⁸ And the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. ⁹ Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd ^(B)to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² And responding again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ They shouted ^[a]back, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁴ But Pilate said to them, “Why, what ^[b]evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁵ Intent on satisfying the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus ^(C)flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

^15 (A)Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the ^[a]people any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus ^(B)who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that it was because of envy that ^[b]they had handed Him over.

¹⁹ And ^(C)while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that ^(D)righteous Man; for ^[c]last night I suffered greatly ^(E)in a dream because of Him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ^(F)ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. ²¹ And the governor ^[d]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 shall I do with Jesus ^(G)who is called Christ?” They all *said, “^[e]Crucify Him!” ²³ But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “^[f]Crucify Him!”

²⁴ Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that ^(H)a riot was starting, he took water and ^(I)washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of ^(J)this Man’s blood; ^(K)you yourselves shall see.” ²⁵ And all the people replied, “^(L)His blood shall be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas ^[g]for them; but after having Jesus ^(M)flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Pilate Seeks Jesus’ Release

¹³ Now Pilate summoned to himself the chief priests, the ^[a](A)rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ and he said to them, “You brought this man to me on the ground that ^(B)he is inciting the people to revolt; and behold, after examining Him before you, I ^(C)have found no basis at all in the case of this man for the charges which you are bringing against Him. ¹⁵ No, nor has ^(D)Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ Therefore I will ^[b](E)punish Him and release Him.” ¹⁷ [^[c]Now he was obligated to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]

¹⁸ But they cried out all together, saying, “^(F)Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!” ¹⁹ (He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰ But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” ²² And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found ^[d]in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will ^[e](G)punish Him and release Him.” ²³ But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. ²⁴ And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out. ²⁵ And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will.

The Crown of Thorns

19 So Pilate then took Jesus and ^[a](A)had Him flogged. ^2 (B)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a purple ^[b]cloak on Him; ³ and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “^(C)Hail, King of the Jews!” and ^(D)slapped Him in the face again and again. ⁴ And then Pilate ^(E)came out again and *said to them, “See, I am bringing Him out to you so that you will know that ^(F)I find no grounds at all for charges in ^[c]His case.” ⁵ Jesus then came out, ^(G)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” ⁶ So when the chief priests and the ^(H)officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for ^(I)I find no grounds for charges in ^[d]His case!” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “^(J)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He ^(K)made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

⁸ Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; ⁹ and he ^(L)entered the ^[e]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But ^(M)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, “^(N)You would have no authority ^[f]over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason ^(O)the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” ¹² As a result of this, Pilate ^[g]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “^(P)If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king ^[h]opposes Caesar!”

¹³ Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and ^(Q)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called ^[i]The Pavement—but ^(R)in ^[j]Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was ^(S)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the ^[k](T)sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, ^(U)your King!” ¹⁵ So they shouted, “^(V)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 ^(W)handed Him over to them to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

^16 (A)Now the soldiers took Him away into ^(B)the ^[a]palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they *called together the whole Roman ^[b](C)cohort. ¹⁷ And they *dressed Him in ^[c]purple, and after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; ¹⁸ and they began saluting Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they repeatedly beat His head with a ^[d]reed and spit on Him, and kneeling, they bowed down before Him. ²⁰ And after they had mocked Him, they took the ^[e]purple cloak off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they *led Him out to crucify Him.