Mark 15:1-20

1As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

2So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.”

3And the chief priests accused him of many things.

4Pilate questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!”

5But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

6At the festival Pilate used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested.

7There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.

8The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom.

9Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?”

10For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

12Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

13Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

14Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

16The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called the whole company together.

17They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him.

18And they began to salute him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

19They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying him homage.

20After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him. They led him out to crucify him.