But the ruling priests stirred up the crowd to incite them to ask for Barabbas instead.
You rejected the one who is holy and righteous, and instead begged for a murderer to be released.
They shouted out over and over, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a robber and a troublemaker.)
Meanwhile, the chief priest and the religious leaders were inciting the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and to have Jesus killed.
(Pilate was fully aware that the religious leaders had handed Jesus over to him because of spite and envy.)
So Pilate asked them, “What do you want me to do with this one you call the king of the Jews?”