15:1 Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law 1 and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 15:2 So 3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the king 4 of the Jews?” He replied, 5 “You say so.” 6 15:3 Then 7 the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly. 15:4 So Pilate asked him again, 8 “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!” 15:5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
15:6 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, 9 whomever they requested. 15:7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. 15:8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom. 10 15:9 So Pilate asked them, 11 “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” 15:10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 12 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release 13 Barabbas instead. 15:12 So Pilate spoke to them again, 14 “Then what do you want me to do 15 with the one you call king of the Jews?” 15:13 They shouted back, “Crucify 16 him!” 15:14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, 17 after he had Jesus flogged, 18 he handed him over 19 to be crucified.
15:16 So 20 the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) 21 and called together the whole cohort. 22 15:17 They put a purple cloak 23 on him and after braiding 24 a crown of thorns, 25 they put it on him. 15:18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 26 15:19 Again and again 27 they struck him on the head with a staff 28 and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him.