The Day of Atonement

16 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after ^(A)the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died; ² and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother ^(B)not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for ^(C)I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

^3 [a]“Thus Aaron shall ^(D)come into the Holy Place: ^(E)with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. ⁴ He shall put the ^(F)holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore ^(G)he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. ⁵ And he shall take from ^(H)the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

⁶ “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and ^(I)make atonement for himself and for his house. ⁷ He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁸ Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. ⁹ And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make ^(J)atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

¹¹ “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for ^(K)himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. ¹² Then he shall take ^(L)a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of ^(M)sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. ^13 (N)And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the ^(O)mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he ^(P)die. ^14 (Q)He shall take some of the blood of the bull and ^(R)sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

^15 (S)“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood ^(T)inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. ¹⁶ So he shall ^(U)make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. ¹⁷ There shall be ^(V)no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. ¹⁸ And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for ^(W)it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. ¹⁹ Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and ^(X)consecrate^[b] it from the ^[c]uncleanness of the children of Israel.

²⁰ “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. ²¹ Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, ^(Y)confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, ^(Z)putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. ²² The goat ^[d]shall ^(AA)bear on itself all their iniquities to an ^[e]uninhabited land; and he shall ^(AB)release the goat in the wilderness.

²³ “Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, ^(AC)shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. ²⁴ And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make ^[f]atonement for himself and for the people. ^25 (AD)The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. ²⁶ And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes ^(AE)and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. ^27 (AF)The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. ²⁸ Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

²⁹ “This shall be a statute forever for you: ^(AG)In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall ^[g]afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who ^[h]dwells among you. ³⁰ For on that day the priest shall make ^[i]atonement for you, to ^(AH)cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. ^31 (AI)It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. ^32 (AJ)And the priest, who is anointed and ^(AK)consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; ³³ then he shall make ^[j]atonement for ^[k]the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. ^34 (AL)This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, ^(AM)once a year.” And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(A)

^15 (B)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. ¹⁶ And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called ^[a]Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of ^(C)envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

^20 (D)But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, ^(E)“Barabbas!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

²³ Then the governor said, ^(F)“Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a ^[b]tumult was rising, he ^(G)took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this ^[c]just Person. You see to it.”

²⁵ And all the people answered and said, ^(H)“His blood be on us and on our children.”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them; and when ^(I)he had ^[d]scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(A)

⁶ Now ^(B)at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ Then the multitude, ^[a]crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

¹¹ But ^(C)the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the ^(D)King of the Jews?”

¹³ So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, ^(E)what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

^15 (F)So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be ^(G)crucified.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(A)

^13 (B)Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, ^(C)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, ^(D)having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for ^[a]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ^16 (E)I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” ^17 (F)(for^[b] it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

¹⁸ And ^(G)they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

²² Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men ^[c]and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So ^(H)Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. ^25 (I)And he released ^[d]to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

In Pilate’s Court^(A)

^28 (B)Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. ^(C)But they themselves did not go into the ^[a]Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ^29 (D)Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If He were not ^[b]an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ^32 (E)that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, ^(F)signifying by what death He would die.

^33 (G)Then Pilate entered the ^[c]Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

^36 (H)Jesus answered, ^(I)“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, ^(J)that I should bear ^(K)witness to the truth. Everyone who ^(L)is of the truth ^(M)hears My voice.”

³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ^(N)“I find no fault in Him at all.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(O)

^39 (P)“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

^40 (Q)Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” ^(R)Now Barabbas was a robber.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(S)

19 So then ^(T)Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. ² And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. ^3 [d]Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they ^(U)struck Him with their hands.

⁴ Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, ^(V)that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

Pilate’s Decision

⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

^6 (W)Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

⁷ The Jews answered him, ^(X)“We have a law, and according to ^[e]our law He ought to die, because ^(Y)He made Himself the Son of God.”

⁸ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” ^(Z)But Jesus gave him no answer.

¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have ^[f]power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, ^(AA)“You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ^(AB)the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

¹² From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. ^(AC)Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

^13 (AD)When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now ^(AE)it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

¹⁵ But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”

The chief priests answered, ^(AF)“We have no king but Caesar!”

^16 (AG)Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus ^[g]and led Him away.