⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted

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^(A) opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat^(B) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic^(C) is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation^(D) of the Passover; it was about noon.^(E)

“Here is your king,”^(F) 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.^(G)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(H)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

³ They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(A) 4} Festus answered, “Paul is being held^(B) at Caesarea,^(C) and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(D) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(E) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(F) but they could not prove them.^(G)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(H) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(I) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(J)

²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard^(A) but to give him some freedom^(B) and permit his friends to take care of his needs.^(C)

²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.^{(D) 25} As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control^(E) and the judgment^(F) to come, Felix was afraid^(G) and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,^(H) but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews,^(I) he left Paul in prison.^(J)

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^(A)

²⁶ The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

²⁰ because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^(A) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^[a]; yet he liked to listen to him.

John the Baptist Beheaded^(A)(B)

¹⁴ King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^[a] “John the Baptist^(C) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(A) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(B) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(C) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(D) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(E)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(F) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(G) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(H) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(I) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(J)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(K)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(L) and handed him over to be crucified.