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Matthew 27:15-26
Easy-to-Read Version
Matthew 27:15-26
Easy-to-Read Version
Pilate Tries but Fails to Free Jesus(A)
15 Every year at Passover time the governor would free one prisoner—whichever one the people wanted him to free. 16 At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.[a]
17 When a crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, “I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him.
19 While Pilate was sitting there in the place for judging, his wife sent a message to him. It said, “Don’t do anything with that man. He is not guilty. Last night I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much.”
20 But the leading priests and older Jewish leaders told the people to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed.
21 Pilate said, “I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which one do you want me to set free for you?”
The people answered, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate asked, “So what should I do with Jesus, the one called the Messiah?”
All the people said, “Kill him on a cross!”
23 Pilate asked, “Why do you want me to kill him? What wrong has he done?”
But they shouted louder, “Kill him on a cross!”
24 Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do to make the people change. In fact, it looked as if there would be a riot. So he took some water and washed his hands[b] in front of them all. He said, “I am not guilty of this man’s death. You are the ones who are doing it!”
25 The people answered, “We will take full responsibility for his death. You can blame us and even our children!”
26 Then Pilate set Barabbas free. And he told some soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he handed him over to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 27:16 Barabbas In some Greek copies the name is Jesus Barabbas.
- Matthew 27:24 washed his hands Pilate did this as a sign to show that he wanted no part in what the people did.
Matthew 27:15-26
New International Version
Matthew 27:15-26
New International Version
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.
Footnotes
- Matthew 27:16 Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17.
Mark 15:6-15
Easy-to-Read Version
Mark 15:6-15
Easy-to-Read Version
Pilate Tries but Fails to Free Jesus(A)
6 Every year at the Passover time the governor would free one prisoner—whichever one the people wanted. 7 There was a man in prison at that time named Barabbas. He and the rebels with him had been put in prison for committing murder during a riot.
8 The people came to Pilate and asked him to free a prisoner as he always did. 9 Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” 10 Pilate knew that the leading priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him. 11 But the leading priests persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus.
12 Pilate asked the people again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”
13 The people shouted, “Kill him on a cross!”
14 Pilate asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?”
But the people shouted louder and louder, “Kill him on a cross!”
15 Pilate wanted to please the people, so he set Barabbas free for them. And he told the soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he handed him over to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.
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Mark 15:6-15
New International Version
Mark 15:6-15
New International Version
6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”(A) asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas(B) instead.
12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.
13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.
14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,(C) and handed him over to be crucified.
John 18:39-19:16
Easy-to-Read Version
John 18:39-19:16
Easy-to-Read Version
39 But it is one of your customs for me to free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this ‘king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!” (Barabbas was a rebel.)
19 Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and whipped. 2 The soldiers made a crown from thorny branches and put it on his head. Then they put a purple robe around him. 3 They kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail to the king of the Jews!” And they hit him in the face.
4 Again Pilate came out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look! I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want you to know that I find nothing I can charge him with.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is the man!”
6 When the leading priests and the Jewish guards saw Jesus they shouted, “Kill him on a cross! Kill him on a cross!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and nail him to a cross yourselves. I find nothing I can charge him with.”
7 The Jewish leaders answered, “We have a law that says he must die, because he said he is the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was more afraid. 9 So he went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer him. 10 Pilate said, “You refuse to speak to me? Remember, I have the power to make you free or to kill you on a cross.”
11 Jesus answered, “The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go free. But the Jewish leaders shouted, “Anyone who makes himself a king is against Caesar. So if you let this man go free, that means you are not Caesar’s friend.”
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out to the place called “The Stone Pavement.” (In Aramaic the name is Gabbatha.) Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat there. 14 It was now almost noon on Preparation day of Passover week. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!”
Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to kill your king on a cross?”
The leading priests answered, “The only king we have is Caesar!”
16 So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be killed on a cross.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross(A)
The soldiers took Jesus.
John 18:39-19:16
New International Version
John 18:39-19:16
New International Version
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)
Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified(B)
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(C) 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(D) And they slapped him in the face.(E)
4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out(F) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”(G) 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,(H) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.(I) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”(J)
7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,(K) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”(L)
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace.(M) “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.(N) 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(O) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(P) is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king(Q) opposes Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat(R) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic(S) is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation(T) of the Passover; it was about noon.(U)
“Here is your king,”(V) Pilate said to the Jews.
15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(W)
The Crucifixion of Jesus(X)
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
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