Matthew 27:15-26 - Pilate Releases Barabbas

¹⁵ At festival time the governor was in the habit of releasing any one prisoner whom the crowd chose. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Bar-Abbas; ¹⁷ so, when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Who do you want released? Jesus Bar-Abbas or Jesus the so-called 'Christ'?" ¹⁸ (He knew quite well that Jesus had been delivered up out of envy.

¹⁹ Besides, when he was seated on the tribunal, his wife had sent to tell him, "Do nothing with that innocent man, for I have suffered greatly to-day in a dream about him.")

²⁰ But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask Bar-Abbas and to have Jesus killed. ²¹ The governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Bar-Abbas," they said.

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

²³ "Why," said the governor, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted on more fiercely than ever, "Have him crucified!"

²⁴ Now when Pilate saw that instead of him doing any good a riot was rising, he took some water and washed his hands in presence of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this good man's blood. It is your affair!"

²⁵ To this all the people replied, "His blood be on us and on our children!" ²⁶ Then he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he scourged and handed over to be crucified.

⁶ Now at festival time he used to release for them some prisoner whom they begged from him. ⁷ (There was a man called Bar-Abbas in prison, among the rioters who had committed murder during the insurrection.) ⁸ So the crowd pressed up and started to ask him for his usual boon. ⁹ Pilate replied, "Would you like me to release the king of the Jews for you?" ¹⁰ (For he knew the high priests had handed him over out of envy.) ¹¹ But the high priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Bar-Abbas for them instead.

¹² Pilate asked them again, "And what am I to do with your so-called king of the Jews?"

¹³ Whereupon they shouted again, "Crucify him."

¹⁴ "Why," said Pilate, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted more fiercely than ever, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵ So, as Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he handed over to be crucified, after he had scourged him.

¹³ Then summoning the high priests and rulers and the people, ¹⁴ Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him. ¹⁵ No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death; ¹⁶ so I shall release him with a whipping." ¹⁷ --

¹⁸ But they shouted one and all, "Away with him! Release Bar-Abbas for us!" ¹⁹ (This was a man who had been put into prison on account of a riot which had taken place in the city and also on a charge of murder.)

²⁰ Again Pilate addressed them, for he wanted to release Jesus, ²¹ but they roared, "To the cross, to the cross with him!"

²² He asked them a third time, "But what crime has he committed? I have found nothing about him that deserves death; so I shall release him with a whipping."

²³ But they loudly urged their demand that he should be crucified, and their shouts carried the day. ²⁴ Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out; ²⁵ he released the man they wanted, the man who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and Jesus he handed over to their will.