¹⁵At the festivalⁿ the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”^o ¹⁸For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”^p

²⁰The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. ²¹The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they answered.

²²Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

They all answered, “Crucify him!”^q

²³Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!”^r

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.^D See to it yourselves!”^s

²⁵All the people answered, “His blood be on us^t and on our children!” ²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.^u

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Footnotes

DOther read this righteous man’s blood

Cross references

n Mk 15:6–15; Lk 23:16–25; Jn 18:39–40; 19:16
o Mt 1:16; 27:22
p Gn 20:6; Nm 12:6; Jb 33:14–16; Mt 2:12; Jn 19:13
q Mt 1:16; Ac 13:28
r Lk 23:41; Jn 8:46
s Dt 21:6–8; Ps 26:6; Mt 26:5; 27:4,19
t Jos 2:19; Ac 5:28
u Is 53:5; Mk 15:15; Lk 23:16; Jn 19:1