Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free ^(A)

⁶ Each year at the special supper Pilate would let one person who was in prison go free. It would be the one the people asked for. ⁷ The name of one of those in prison was Barabbas. He, together with others, had killed people while working against the leaders of the country. ⁸ All the people went to Pilate and asked him to do as he had done before. ⁹ Pilate said, “Do you want me to let the King of the Jews go free?” ¹⁰ He knew the religious leaders had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous. ¹¹ The religious leaders talked the people into thinking that Pilate should let Barabbas go free. ¹² Pilate said to them again, “What do you want me to do with the Man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ They spoke with loud voices again, “Nail Him to a cross.” ¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What bad thing has He done?” They spoke with loud voices all the more, “Nail Him to a cross!”

Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free ^(A)

¹⁷ *Every year at the time of the special supper, Pilate would let one person who was in prison go free. ¹⁸ They all cried out together with a loud voice, “Take this Man away! Let Barabbas go free.” ¹⁹ Barabbas had killed some people and had made trouble against the leaders of the country. He had been put in prison.

²⁰ Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free so he talked to them again. ²¹ But they cried out, “Nail Him to a cross! Nail Him to a cross!” ²² Pilate said to them the third time, “Why, what bad thing has He done? I have found no reason to put Him to death. I will punish Him and let Him go free.”

²³ But they kept on crying out with loud voices saying that He must be nailed to a cross. Their loud voices got what they wanted. ²⁴ Then Pilate said that it should be done as they wanted. ²⁵ Pilate let the man go free who had made trouble against the leaders of the country and who had killed people. He gave Jesus over to them to do with as they wanted.

Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free ^(A)

³⁸ Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” After Pilate said this, he went out again to the Jews. He said, “I do not find Him guilty. ³⁹ But every year a man who is in prison is allowed to go free at the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Do you want the King of the Jews to go free?” ⁴⁰ Then they spoke with loud voices, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.