As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind [which is commonplace]?

“A battered reed He will not break,
And a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,
Until He leads justice to victory.

And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand [as a scepter]. Kneeling before Him, they ridiculed Him, saying, “Hail (rejoice), King of the Jews!”

They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head.

Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.

Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.