17. So when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release for you? Yeshua who is Bar-Abba, or Yeshua who is called Messiah?”
18. For he knew that they had handed Him over out of envy.
19. While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Don’t have anything to do with that righteous Man, for today I’ve suffered many things in a dream because of Him.”
20. Now the ruling kohanim and elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Bar-Abba and destroy Yeshua.
21. But the governor responded, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Bar-Abba!”
22. Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Yeshua, who is called Messiah?” “Execute Him!” all of them say.
23. But Pilate said, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let Him be executed!”
24. When Pilate saw he was accomplishing nothing, but instead a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this blood,” he said. “You see to it yourselves!”
25. All the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
26. Then he released to them Bar-Abba. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
27. Then the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him.
28. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe around Him.
29. And after braiding a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head and put a staff in His right hand. And falling on their knees before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
30. They spat on Him, and they took the staff and beat Him over and over on the head.
31. When they finished mocking Him, they stripped the robe off Him and put His own clothes back on Him. And they led Him away to crucify Him.
32. As they came out, they found a man from Cyrene, Simon by name. They forced him into service, to carry Yeshua’s cross-beam.
33. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (that is to say, Place of a Skull),
34. they offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink; but after tasting, He was unwilling to drink it.