Mark 15:6-15

New Century Version

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus

⁶ Every year at the time of the Passover the governor would free one prisoner whom the people chose. ⁷ At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in prison who was a rebel and had committed murder during a riot. ⁸ The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free a prisoner as he always did.

⁹ So Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” ¹⁰ Pilate knew that the leading priests had turned Jesus in to him because they were jealous. ¹¹ But the leading priests had persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus.

¹² Then Pilate asked the crowd again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ They shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?”

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he freed Barabbas for them. After having Jesus beaten with whips, he handed Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified.