Luke 23:1-25

Complete Jewish Bible

23 With that, the whole Sanhedrin got up and brought Yeshua before Pilate, ² where they started accusing him. “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah — a king!” ³ Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And he answered him, “The words are yours.” ⁴ Pilate said to the head cohanim and the crowds, “I find no ground for a charge against this man.” ⁵ But they persisted. “He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Y’hudah — he started in the Galil, and now he’s here!” ⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was from the Galil; ⁷ and when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who at that time happened to be in Yerushalayim too.

⁸ Herod was delighted to see Yeshua, because he had heard about him and for a long time had been wanting to meet him; indeed, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. ⁹ He questioned him at great length, but Yeshua made no reply. ¹⁰ However, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers stood there, vehemently pressing their case against him. ¹¹ Herod and his soldiers treated Yeshua with contempt and made fun of him. Then, dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; previously they had been enemies.

¹³ Pilate summoned the head cohanim, the leaders and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought this man before me on a charge of subverting the people. I examined him in your presence and did not find the man guilty of the crime you are accusing him of. ¹⁵ And neither did Herod, because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has not done anything that merits the death penalty. ¹⁶ Therefore, what I will do is have him flogged and release him.” ^{17 [a] 18} But with one voice they shouted, “Away with this man! Give us Bar-Abba!” ¹⁹ (He was a man who had been thrown in prison for causing a riot in the city and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate appealed to them again, because he wanted to release Yeshua. ²¹ But they yelled, “Put him to death on the stake! Put him to death on the stake!” ²² A third time he asked them, “But what has this man done wrong? I haven’t found any reason to put him to death. So I’m going to have him flogged and set free.” ²³ But they went on yelling insistently, demanding that he be executed on the stake; and their shouting prevailed. ²⁴ Pilate decided to grant their demand; ²⁵ he released the man who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, the one they had asked for; and Yeshua he surrendered to their will.