⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(A) 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^(B) 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,^(C) and handed him over to be crucified.

⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,^(A) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.^(B) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”^(C)

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,^(D) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”^(E)

¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.