² And they began to ^(A)accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow ^(B)perverting ^[a]the nation, and ^(C)forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying ^(D)that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

^3 (E)Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

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.

¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the ^(A)King of the Jews?”

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

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

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

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

¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, ^(A)He answered nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, ^(B)“Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

⁴ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ^(A)“I find no fault in this Man.”

⁵ But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from ^(B)Galilee to this place.”

Jesus Faces Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard ^[a]of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that He belonged to ^(C)Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Now when Herod saw Jesus, ^(D)he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because ^(E)he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. ⁹ Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him ^(F)nothing. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. ^11 (G)Then Herod, with his ^[b]men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² That very day ^(H)Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(I)

^13 (J)Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, ^(K)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, ^(L)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 ^[c]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ^16 (M)I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”

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 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.”

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

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

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