|¹⁷ Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.|^[a]

¹⁸ But ·the people [^Lthey] shouted together, “Take this man away [^Cfor execution]! ·Let Barabbas go free [^LRelease Barabbas to/for us]!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part in a ·riot [insurrection] in the city and for murder.)

²⁰ Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and [^Lagain] ·told this to [appealed to; addressed] the crowd. ²¹ But they shouted again, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What ·wrong [crime; evil] has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him ·punished [flogged] and set him free.”

²³ But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be crucified. Their ·yelling became so loud [^Lvoices prevailed so] that ²⁴ Pilate decided to give them what they ·wanted [requested; demanded]. ²⁵ He set free the man who was in jail for ·rioting [insurrection] and murder, and he handed Jesus over ·to them to do with him as they wished [or as they requested; ^Lto their will].

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus^(A)

¹⁵ Every year at the ·time of Passover [festival/feast] the governor would free [^Lfor the crowd] one prisoner whom the people chose. ¹⁶ At that time there was a man in prison, named Barabbas,^[a] who was ·known to be very bad [well known; notorious]. ¹⁷ When the people gathered, Pilate said, “Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas^[b] or Jesus who is called the ·Christ [Messiah]?” ¹⁸ [^LFor] Pilate knew that they turned Jesus in to him because they were jealous.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting there on the judge’s seat [^Ca special seat for speeches or judicial pronouncements], his wife sent this message to him: “·Don’t do anything to [or Have nothing to do with] that man, because he is ·innocent [righteous]. Today I had a dream about him, and it ·troubled me very much [caused me great pain/anguish].”

²⁰ But the ·leading [^Tchief] priests and elders convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be ·killed [executed].

²¹ Pilate said, “Which of these two 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 ·Christ [Messiah]?”

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ Pilate asked, “Why? What ·wrong [crime; evil] has he done?”

But they shouted louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he ·could do nothing about this [was getting nowhere; was gaining nothing] and that a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. Then he said, “I am ·not guilty [innocent] of this man’s ·death [^Lblood]. ·You are the ones who are causing it [It is your responsibility now; or Take care of it yourselves]!”

²⁵ All the people answered, “·We and our children will be responsible for his death [^LHis blood be on us and on our children].”

²⁶ Then he set Barabbas free. But he had Jesus ·beaten with whips [scourged; flogged] and handed over to the soldiers to be crucified.

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus^(A)

⁶ Every year at the ·time of the Passover [festival/feast] the governor would free one prisoner whom the people ·chose [requested]. ⁷ At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in prison, one of a group of rebels who had committed murder during ·a riot [the uprising/insurrection]. ⁸ The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free a prisoner as he always did.

⁹ So Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” ¹⁰ Pilate knew that the ·leading [^Tchief] priests had turned Jesus in to him because they were jealous. ¹¹ But the ·leading [^Tchief] priests had ·persuaded [stirred up] the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus.

¹² Then Pilate asked the crowd again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ They shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate asked, “Why? What ·wrong [crime; evil] has he done?”

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Pilate wanted to ·please [satisfy] the crowd, so he freed Barabbas for them. After having Jesus ·beaten with whips [flogged; scourged], he handed Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified.

³⁹ But it is your custom that I ·free [release] one prisoner to you at Passover time. Do you want me to ·free [release] the ‘king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas ·go free [be released]!” (Barabbas was a ·robber [bandit; revolutionary; terrorist; ^Cthe Romans referred to insurrectionists as “robbers” or “criminals”].)

¹⁶ So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Jesus Is Crucified^(A)

The soldiers took charge of Jesus.