Matthew 27:15-26 - Pilate Releases Barabbas

¹⁵ Now at festival time the governor was accustomed to release for the people any prisoner whom they chose, ¹⁶ and at this time there was a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they gathered to ask this, Pilate said to them, "Which one do you want me to release for you, Barabbas, or Jesus, the so-called Christ?" ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed him over to him out of envy.

¹⁹ Now while he was on the bench his wife sent to him to say, "Do not have anything to do with that upright man, for I have just had a painful experience in a dream about him."

²⁰ But the high priests and the elders prevailed on the crowd to ask for Barabbas, and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹ And the governor answered, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

²² Pilate said to them, "Then what am I to do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?" They all said, "Have him crucified!"

²³ He said, "Why, what has he done that is wrong?" But they shouted all the louder, "Have him crucified!"

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing but that a riot was beginning instead, he took some water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves."

²⁵ And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them, and he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

⁶ Now at festival time he used to set free for them one prisoner, whom they petitioned for. ⁷ There was in prison a man called Barabbas, among some revolutionaries who in their outbreak had committed murder. ⁸ And a crowd of people came up and started to ask him for the usual favor. ⁹ Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to set the king of the Jews free for you?" ¹⁰ For he knew that the high priests had handed him over to him out of envy. ¹¹ But the high priests stirred up the crowd to get him to set Barabbas free for them instead.

¹² And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the king of the Jews?"

¹³ They shouted back, "Crucify him!"

¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, "Why, what has he done that is wrong?" But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵ And as Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, he set Barabbas free for them, and after having Jesus flogged handed him over to be crucified.

¹³ Pilate summoned the high priests and the leading members of the council and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, "You brought this man before me charged with misleading the people, and here I have examined him before you and not found him guilty of any of the things that you accuse him of. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for he has sent him back to us. You see he has done nothing to call for his death. ¹⁶ So I will teach him a lesson and let him go." ¹⁷ OMITTED TEXT

¹⁸ But they all shouted out, "Kill him, and release Barabbas for us!" ¹⁹ (He was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city and for murder.)

²⁰ But Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, and he called out to them again. ²¹ But they kept on shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

²² And he said to them a third time, "Why, what has he done that is wrong? For I have found nothing about him to call for his death. So I will teach him a lesson and let him go."

²³ But they persisted with loud outcries in demanding that he be crucified, and their shouting won. ²⁴ And Pilate pronounced sentence that what they asked for should be done. ²⁵ He released the man they asked for, who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and handed Jesus over to their will.