15. Ke kaloku *ngePasika irhuluneli yayidla ngokusikhululela isihlwele umbanjwa abe mnye – lowo ke sasisithi simcele.
16. Babenombanjwa owayesaziwa kakhulu, ekuthiwa nguBharabha.
17. Sakuba ke isihlwele sihlanganisene, uPilato wathi kuso: “Nifuna ndinikhululele bani na: uBharabha okanye uYesu ekuthiwa nguKrestu?”
18. Watsho kuba esazi ukuba bamnikele ngomona uYesu.
19. Kwathi, uPilato ehleli esihlalweni sokugweba, inkosikazi yakhe yathumela kuye, isithi: “Uze ungamenzi nto loo mntu ulilungisa. Andonwabanga mpela namhlanje ngenxa yephupha endiliphuphe ngaye.”
20. Ke bona ababingeleli abaziintloko namadoda amakhulu basifunza isihlwele ukuba sicele uBharabha, yena uYesu atshatyalaliswe.
21. Yabuza irhuluneli yathi kuso: “Nguwuphi na kwaba babini enifuna ndinikhululele yena?”Sathi sona: “UBharabha.”
22. UPilato wathi kuso: “Ndimenze ntoni na ke uYesu ekuthiwa nguKrestu?”Isihlwele sonke sathi: “Makabethelelwe emnqamlezweni!”
23. Kodwa yena wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba enze bubi buni na?”Kodwa kwaba kokukhona isihlwele sidanduluka ngakumbi sisithi: “Makabethelelwe emnqamlezweni!”
24. UPilato, akubona ukuba akuncedi nto, kungathi kungasuka kubekho isiphithi-phithi, uthathe amanzi, wahlamba izandla zakhe phambi kwesihlwele, esithi: “Ndimsulwa egazini lalo mntu. Ziboneleni ngokwenu.”
25. Baphendula ke bonke abo bantu babelapho, bathi: “Igazi lakhe malibe phezu kwethu naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”
26. Wabakhululela uBharabha ke, waza yena uYesu wanikelwa ukuba akatswe, abethelelwe emnqamlezweni.
27. Amajoni ke amsa uYesu eyadini yomzi werhuluneli, aza alibizela apho ibutho lawo liphela.
28. Amhluba izambatho uYesu, amambathisa ezibomvu,
29. athi, eluke isithsaba sameva, amthi jize ngaso entloko, amphathisa ingcongolo ngesandla sokunene, aza aqubuda phambi kwakhe, ahlekisa ngaye, esithi: “Aa, kumkani wamaJuda!”
30. Amtshicela, ayithatha ingcongolo, ambetha entloko.