15. Every year at the time of Passover the governor would free one person from prison. This was always a person the people wanted to be set free.
16. At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.
17. All the people gathered at Pilate’s house. Pilate said, “Which man do you want me to free: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?”
18. Pilate knew that they gave Jesus to him because they were jealous.
19. Pilate said these things while he was sitting on the judge’s seat. While he was sitting there, his wife sent a message to him. The message said, “Don’t do anything to that man. He is not guilty. Today I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much.”
20. But the leading priests and elders told the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be killed.