Jesus Before Pilate

11 (A)Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you (B)the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, (C)“You have said so.” 12 (D)But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, (E)“Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

15 (F)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or (G)Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out (H)of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on (I)the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with (J)that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today (K)in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to (L)ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (M)They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? (N)What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that (O)a riot was beginning, he took water and (P)washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of (Q)this man's blood;[a] (R)see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, (S)“His blood be on us and (T)on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having (U)scourged[b] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27 (V)Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the (W)governor's headquarters,[c] and they gathered the whole (X)battalion[d] before him. 28 And they stripped him and put (Y)a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they (Z)mocked him, saying, “Hail, (AA)King of the Jews!” 30 And (AB)they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and (AC)led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32 (AD)(AE)As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to (AF)carry his cross. 33 (AG)And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 (AH)they offered him wine to drink, mixed with (AI)gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, (AJ)they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:24 Some manuscripts this righteous blood, or this righteous man's blood
  2. Matthew 27:26 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal
  3. Matthew 27:27 Greek the praetorium
  4. Matthew 27:27 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men

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