⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested.

³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.^(A)

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(A) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(B)

²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,^(A) but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews,^(B) he left Paul in prison.^(C)

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.^(A)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(B)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him^(A) and then release him.” ^[17] [a]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{(B) 19} (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^(C)

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(A) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[a] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(B) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(C) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(D) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(E) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(F)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(G) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(H) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(I) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(J) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(K)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(L)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(M) and handed him over to be crucified.

⁵ “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot^(A) among the people.”

² “As you know, the Passover^(A) is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”