Readings for Lent and Easter

Jesus Taken to Pilate

15 And as soon as morning came, after^[a] formulating a plan, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, tied up Jesus, led him^[b] away, and handed him^[c] over to Pilate. ² And Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And he answered him and^[d] said, “You say so.” ³ And the chief priests began to accuse^[e] him of many things. ⁴ So Pilate asked him again, saying, “Do you not answer anything? See how many charges^[f] they are bringing against you!” ⁵ But Jesus did not answer anything further, so that Pilate was astonished.

Pilate Releases Barabbas

⁶ Now at each feast he customarily released^[g] for them one prisoner whom they requested. ⁷ And the one named Barabbas^[h] was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ And the crowd came up and^[i] began to ask him to do as he customarily did^[j] for them. ⁹ So Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” ¹⁰ (For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) ¹¹ But the chief priests incited the crowd so that he would release for them Barabbas^[k] instead. ¹² So Pilate answered and said to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one whom you call the king of the Jews?” ¹³ And they shouted again, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”