Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Luke 23:13-25:

Pilate called together the chief priests,
the religious authorities, and all their cohorts.

Then he said:
       “You brought Jesus into my court,
              accusing him of being a troublemaker.
       But you’re witnesses that I’ve found him innocent,
              and so has Herod, who sent him back to me.
       This man doesn’t deserve the death penalty.
              I’ll have him beaten, then released.”

“Kill him! Set Barabbas free!” shouted the angry mob.
Now Barabbas had been in prison,
       charged with terrorism and murder.

Pilate wanted to set Jesus free,
       so he repeated himself to the mob.
But they shouted even louder,
       “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

“What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate once again.
“I’ve found him guilty of nothing deserving death.
       I’ll have him beaten and released.”

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”
       came the incessant cry of the crowd.

Finally, Pilate gave in to the demands of the frenzied mob.
He freed Barabbas, the terrorist and murderer,
       then handed Jesus over to face certain death.