Chapter 19

Jesus Sentenced to Death

1 Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip.
2 The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they put a royal purple robe on him.
3 "Hail! King of the Jews!" they mocked, and they hit him with their fists.
        4 Pilate went outside again and said to the people, "I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty."
5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, "Here is the man!"
        6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify! Crucify!"
     "You crucify him," Pilate said. "I find him not guilty."
        7 The Jewish leaders replied, "By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God."
        8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.
9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer.
10 "You won't talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or to crucify you?"
        11 Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who brought me to you has the greater sin."
        12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders told him, "If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar."
        13 When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha).
14 It was now about noon of the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,[1][Greek Jewish people; also in 19:20.] "Here is your king!"
        15 "Away with him," they yelled. "Away with him—crucify him!"
     "What? Crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
     "We have no king but Caesar," the leading priests shouted back.
        16 Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus and led him away.