Mark 15:2-25

New International Version

² “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(A) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply,^(B) and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(C) asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas^(D) instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,^(E) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(F)

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace^(G) (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”^{(H) 19} Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out^(I) to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(J)

²¹ A certain man from Cyrene,^(K) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,^(L) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(M) 22} They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,^(N) but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots^(O) to see what each would get.

²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.