But they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."

Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Attend to that yourselves."

because they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."

But the Jewish leaders became jealous, and they took some contemptible characters who used to hang out in the public square, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason's home and searched it for Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the people.