Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said Barabbas. Pilate
saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, saying, Crucify him; let him be crucified.
And the governor said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, gave sentence that it should be as they required.
And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to their will, to be crucified.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
JESUS CRUCIFIED—HE PRAYS FOR HIS ENEMIES.
THEN the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, called Pretorium; and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.