(CEV) From “The Poem of the Man-God”, Vol. 5, p. 563
Jesus is scourged
Jesus is led by four soldiers to the court-yard beyond the hall. In the middle of that court-yard, which is all paved with coloured marbles, there is a high column like the one in the porch. At about three metres (9 feet) from the floor it has an iron bar protruding at least a metre (3 feet) and ending with a ring, to which Jesus is tied, with His hands joined above His head, after He has been undressed.
He has on only short linen drawers and sandals. His hands tied at His wrists are raised up as far as the ring, so that, although tall, He rests only the tips of His toes on the floor… And even that position is a torture.[…]
Behind Him stands one who looks like an executioner, with a clear Jewish profile; in front of Him, another man, looking like the previous one. They are armed with scourges, made of seven leather strips tied to a handle and ending with small lead hammers. They begin to strike Him rhythmically, as if they were practicing. One in front and one behind, so that Jesus’ trunk is in a whirl of lashes and scourges. […]
They beat the poor body, which is so slender and as white as old ivory, and then becomes covered with stripes that at first are a brighter and brighter pink shade, then violet, then it displays blue swellings full of blood, then the skin breaks letting blood flow from all sides. They redouble their cruelty on His thorax and abdomen, but there is no shortage of blows given to His legs, arms and even to His head, so that no fragment of His skin may be left without pain. And not a moan… […] They untie Him, and Jesus falls on the floor like a dead body.
Jesus is crowned with thorns
Soldier: «Wait. The Jews want a king. Now we will give them one. Him…»
And he runs out to a court that is in the back, from which he comes back with a bunch of branches of wild hawthorn, still flexible, because springtime keeps the branches relatively tender, whilst the long sharp thorns are hard. With a dagger they remove leaves and buds, they bend the branches forming a circle and they place them on His poor head. But the cruel crown falls down on His neck.
Soldier: «It does not fit. Make it narrower. Take it off.»
They take it off and scratch His cheeks, risking to blind Him, and they tear off His hair in doing so. They make it smaller. Now it is too small, and although they press it down, driving the thorns into His head, it threatens to fall. They take it off once again, tearing more of His hair. They adjust it again. It now fits. At the front there are three thorny cords. At the back, where the ends of the three branches interweave, there is a real knot of thorns that penetrate into the nape of His neck.
Soldier: «Do You see how well You look? […] A crown is not sufficient to make a king. Purple and sceptre are required. In the stable there is a cane and in the sewer there is a red chlamys. Get them, […] »
And once they have them, they put the dirty red rag on Jesus’ shoulders, and before putting the cane in His hands, they beat His head with it, bowing and greeting:
Soldiers: «Hail, king of the Jews»
They roar with laughter.
Jesus does not react. He lets them sit Him on the “throne”: a tub turned upside-down, certainly used to water horses, He lets them strike and scoff at Him, without ever uttering a word. He only looks at them, casting glances of such kindness and such atrocious sorrow.[…] Jesus, although exhausted, straightens Himself up with dignity.[…]
Jesus is condemned
[…]Jesus looks around at the crowd and in the sea of rancorous faces he looks far and finds some friendly faces. How many? Less than twenty friends among thousands of enemies… And He lowers His head, struck by such abandonment[…]
A Roman woman comes in and kneels down handing a waxed tablet. It must be the one with which Procula begs her husband not to condemn Jesus. […]
«His blood on us. His blood be on us and on our children.
We are not afraid of Him. Crucify Him! Crucify Him!»
Pontius Pilate […] orders the slave to bring him a board on which he places a notice and has the words written on it:
«Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews»
And he shows it to the people […] and he orders:
Pilate: «Let Him go to the cross. Soldier, go. Prepare the crosses […]»
Jesus is left in the middle of it, guarded by the soldiers, awaiting the cross.