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As soon as it was morning, the head cohanim held a council meeting with the elders, the Torah-teachers and the whole Sanhedrin. Then they put Yeshua in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
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Pilate put this question to him: "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "The words are yours."
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The head cohanim too made accusations against him,
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and Pilate again inquired of him, "Aren't you going to answer? Look how many charges they are making against you!"
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But Yeshua made no further response, to Pilate's amazement.
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Now during a festival, Pilate used to set free one prisoner, whomever the crowd requested.
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There was in prison among the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection a man called Bar-Abba. When the crowd came up and began ask
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ing Pilate to do for them what he usually did, h
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e asked them, "Do you want me to set free for you the `King of the Jews'?"
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For it was evident to him that it was out of jealousy that the head cohanim had handed him over.
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But the head cohanim stirred up the crowd to have him release Bar-Abba for them instead.
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Pilate again said to them, "Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?"
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They shouted back, "Put him to death on the stake!"
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He asked, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they only shouted louder, "Put him to death on the stake!"
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So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the mob, set Bar-Abba free for them; but he had Yeshua whipped and then handed him over to be executed on the stake.
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The soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the headquarters build ing) and called together the whole battalion.
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They dressed him in purple and wove thorn branches into a crown, which they put on him.
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Then they began to salute him, "Hail to the King of the Jews!"
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They hit him on the head with a stick, spat on him and kneeled in mock worship of him.
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When they had finished ridiculing him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be nailed to the execution-stake.