Then the whole group got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. ²They began to bring charges against Jesus. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people. He is against paying taxes to Caesar. And he claims to be Christ, a king.”

³So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes. It is just as you say,” Jesus replied.

⁴Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd. He announced, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

⁵But they kept it up. They said, “His teaching stirs up the people all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was from Galilee. ⁷He learned that Jesus was from Herod’s area of authority. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. At that time Herod was also in Jerusalem.

⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased. He had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard much about him. He hoped to see Jesus do a miracle.

⁹Herod asked him many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there. With loud shouts they brought charges against him.

¹¹Herod and his soldiers laughed at him and made fun of him. They dressed him in a beautiful robe. Then they sent him back to Pilate. ¹²That day Herod and Pilate became friends. Before this time they had been enemies.

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people. ¹⁴He said to them, “You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵Herod hasn’t either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death. ^16/17So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

¹⁸With one voice the crowd cried out, “Kill this man! Give Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder.

²⁰Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again. ²¹But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²Pilate spoke to them for the third time. “Why?” he asked. “What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

²³But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people’s shouts won out.

²⁴So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted.

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