Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, ¹  after he had Jesus flogged, ²  he handed him over ³  to be crucified.

Now ¹  there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² 

So ¹  Pilate asked Jesus, ²  “Are you the king ³  of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.” ⁴ 

That very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other, ¹  for prior to this they had been enemies. ² 

So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, ¹  summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” ² 

Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? ¹  Your own people ²  and your chief priests handed you over ³  to me. What have you done?”

Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, ¹  “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation ²  against him.”

So Pilate said, ¹  “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority ²  to release you, and to crucify you?” ³ 

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat ¹  in the place called “The Stone Pavement” ²  (Gabbatha in ³  Aramaic). ⁴ 

Pilate also had a notice ¹  written and fastened to the cross, ²  which read: ³  “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”

When ¹  Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!” ² 

Pilate told them, ¹  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ²  according to your own law!” ³  The Jewish leaders ⁴  replied, ⁵  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ⁶ 

Pilate asked, ¹  “What is truth?” ²  When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders ³  and announced, ⁴  “I find no basis for an accusation ⁵  against him.

When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify ¹  him! Crucify him!” ²  Pilate said, ³  “You take him and crucify him! ⁴  Certainly ⁵  I find no reason for an accusation ⁶  against him!”

From this point on, Pilate tried ¹  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ²  shouted out, ³  “If you release this man, ⁴  you are no friend of Caesar! ⁵  Everyone who claims to be a king ⁶  opposes Caesar!”

Then they ¹  shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! ²  Crucify ³  him!” Pilate asked, ⁴  “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!”

“For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against ¹  your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ² 

Then Pilate said, ¹  “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to ²  my voice.”

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ¹ ), ²  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ³  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ⁴