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

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

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?”^(E) 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^(F) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(G) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(H) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(I)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

³² As they were going out,^(B) they met a man from Cyrene,^(C) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 33} They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).^{(E) 34} There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;^(F) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^{(G) 36} And sitting down, they kept watch^(H) over him there.