21. The governor said, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" "Barabbas," they replied.
22. Pilate said, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify him!"
23. But he said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" They shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
24. Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was starting. So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I’m innocent of this man’s blood," he said. "It’s your problem."
25. All the people replied, "Let his blood be on us and on our children."
26. Then he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.
27. The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s house, and they gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
28. They stripped him and put a red military coat on him.
29. They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed down in front of him and mocked him, saying, "Hey! King of the Jews!"
30. After they spit on him, they took the stick and struck his head again and again.
31. When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the military coat and put his own clothes back on him. They led him away to crucify him.
32. As they were going out, they found Simon, a man from Cyrene. They forced him to carry his cross.