¹⁵Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. ¹⁶This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.#27:16 Some manuscripts read Jesus Barabbas; also in 27:17. ¹⁷As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.) ¹⁹Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.” ²⁰Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. ²¹So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!” ²²Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ²³“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” ²⁴Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!” ²⁵And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”#27:25 Greek “His blood be on us and on our children.” ²⁶So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.