Matthew 27:15–26

¹⁵Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^q chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^b Barabbas. ¹⁷So 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?”^{r 18}For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

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

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

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?”^w Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

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

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

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

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

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