Jesus or Barabbas

At(A) the festival(B) Pilate(C) used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder(D) during the rebellion.(E) The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king(F) of the Jews(G) for you?” 10 For he knew it was because of envy(H) that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. 12 Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

13 Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

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

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

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Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.

“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

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