Matthew 27:1-66
27 When it had become morning, all the chief priests and the older men of the people held a consultation against Jesus so as to put him to death.+
2 And, after binding him, they led him off and handed him over to Pilate the governor.+
3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty+ silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men,
4 saying: “I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.”+ They said: “What is that to us? You must see to that!”+
5 So he threw the silver pieces into the temple* and withdrew, and went off and hanged himself.+
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said: “It is not lawful to drop them into the sacred treasury, because they are the price of blood.”
7 After consulting together, they bought with them the potter’s field to bury strangers.
8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood”+ to this very day.
9 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah* the prophet was fulfilled, saying: “And they took* the thirty silver pieces,+ the price upon the man that was priced, the one on whom some of the sons of Israel set a price,
10 and they gave* them for the potter’s+ field, according to what Jehovah* had commanded me.”
11 Jesus now stood before the governor; and the governor put the question to him: “Are you the king of the Jews?”+ Jesus replied: “You yourself say [it].”+
12 But, while he was being accused+ by the chief priests and older men, he made no answer.+
13 Then Pilate said to him: “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?”+
14 Yet he did not answer him, no, not a word, so that the governor wondered very much.+
15 Now from festival to festival it was the custom of the governor to release a prisoner to the crowd, the one they wanted.+
16 Just at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Bar·abʹbas.+
17 Hence when they were gathered together Pilate said to them: “Which one do YOU want me to release to YOU, Bar·abʹbas or Jesus the so-called Christ?”+
18 For he was aware that out of envy+ they had handed him over.+
19 Moreover, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent out to him, saying: “Have nothing to do with that righteous+ man,* for I suffered a lot today in a dream+ because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the older men persuaded the crowds to ask for Bar·abʹbas,+ but to have Jesus destroyed.
21 Now in responding the governor said to them: “Which of the two do YOU want me to release to YOU?” They said: “Bar·abʹbas.”+
22 Pilate said to them: “What, then, shall I do with Jesus the so-called Christ?” They all said: “Let him be impaled!”*+
23 He said: “Why, what bad thing did he do?” Still they kept crying out all the more: “Let him be impaled!”+
24 Seeing that it did no good but, rather, an uproar was arising, Pilate took water+ and washed his hands before the crowd, saying: “I am innocent of the blood of this [man].* YOU yourselves must see to it.”
25 At that all the people said in answer: “His blood come upon us and upon our children.”+
26 Then he released Bar·abʹbas to them, but he had Jesus whipped+ and handed him over to be impaled.+
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and gathered the whole body of troops together to him.+
28 And disrobing him, they draped him with a scarlet cloak,+
29 and they braided a crown out of thorns and put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And, kneeling before him, they made fun+ of him, saying: “Good day, you King of the Jews!”+
30 And they spit+ upon him and took the reed and began hitting him upon his head.
31 Finally, when they had made fun+ of him, they took the cloak off and put his outer garments upon him and led him off for impaling.+
32 As they were going out they found a native of Cy·reʹne named Simon.+ This man they impressed into service to lift up his torture stake.
33 And when they came to a place called Golʹgo·tha,*+ that is to say, Skull Place,*
34 they gave him wine mixed with gall+ to drink; but, after tasting it, he refused to drink.+
35 When they had impaled+ him they distributed his outer garments+ by casting lots,+
36 and, as they sat, they watched over him there.
37 Also, they posted above his head the charge against him, in writing: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”+
38 Then two robbers were impaled with him, one on his right and one on his left.+
39 So the passersby began speaking abusively+ of him, wagging+ their heads
40 and saying: “O you would-be thrower-down of the temple+ and builder of it in three days, save yourself! If you are a son of God, come down off the torture stake!”+
41 In like manner also the chief priests with the scribes and older men began making fun of him and saying:+
42 “Others he saved; himself he cannot save! He is King+ of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake and we will believe on him.+
43 He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue+ him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”+
44 In the same way even the robbers that were impaled together with him began reproaching him.+
45 From the sixth hour* on a darkness fell+ over all the land, until the ninth hour.*+
46 About the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice, saying: “Eʹli, Eʹli, laʹma sa·bach·thaʹni?”* that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”+
47 At hearing this, some of those standing there began to say: “This man is calling E·liʹjah.”+
48 And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and soaked it with sour+ wine and put it on a reed and went giving him a drink.+
49 But the rest of them said: “Let him be! Let us see whether E·liʹjah comes to save him.”+ [[Another man took a spear and pierced his side, and blood and water came out.]]*+
50 Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and yielded up [his] spirit.*+
51 And, look! the curtain+ of the sanctuary was rent in two, from top to bottom,+ and the earth quaked, and the rock-masses were split.+
52 And the memorial tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones that had fallen asleep were raised up,
53 (and persons,* coming out from among the memorial tombs after his being raised up, entered into the holy city,)+ and they became visible to many people.
54 But the army officer* and those with him watching over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things happening, grew very much afraid, saying: “Certainly this was God’s Son.”*+
55 Moreover, many women were there viewing from a distance,+ who had accompanied Jesus from Galʹi·lee to minister to him;+
56 among whom was Mary Magʹda·lene, also Mary the mother of James and Joʹses,* and the mother of the sons of Zebʹe·dee.+
57 Now as it was late in the afternoon, there came a rich man of Ar·i·ma·theʹa, named Joseph, who had also himself become a disciple of Jesus.+
58 This man went up to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.+ Then Pilate commanded it to be given over.+
59 And Joseph took the body, wrapped it up in clean fine linen,+
60 and laid it in his new memorial tomb,+ which he had quarried in the rock-mass. And, after rolling a big stone to the door of the memorial tomb, he left.+
61 But Mary Magʹda·lene and the other Mary continued there, sitting before the grave.+
62 The next day, which was after the Preparation,+ the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together before Pilate,
63 saying: “Sir, we have called to mind that that impostor said while yet alive, ‘After three days+ I am to be raised up.’
64 Therefore command the grave to be made secure until the third day, that his disciples may never come and steal+ him and say to the people, ‘He was raised up from the dead!’ and this last imposture will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them: “YOU have a guard.+ Go make it as secure as YOU know how.”
66 So they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone+ and having the guard.
Footnotes
^ “Jeremiah,” אAB; Syh(margin), “Zachariah”; Syp,s omit.
^ “They took,” AB; אSyh,p,s, “I took.”
^ “They gave,” AcB*CItVg; אBcWSyh,p,s, “I gave.”
^ See App 1D.
^ See App 7B.
^ Or, “fastened on a stake (pole)!” See App 5C.
^ Or, “innocent of this blood.”
^ “Golgotha.” Gr., Gol·go·thaʹ; Lat., Golʹgo·tha; J17,18(Heb.), Gol·gol·taʼʹ.
^ “Skull Place.” Gr., Kra·niʹou Toʹpos; Lat., Cal·vaʹri·ae loʹcus; J17(Heb.), meqohmʹ Gul·goʹleth.
^ “Sixth hour,” that is, about 12 noon.
^ “Ninth hour,” that is, about 3 p.m.
^ “Another man . . . came out,” אBC; ADWItVgSyh,p,sArm omit.
^ Or, “ceased to breathe.” Lit., “he let go off the spirit.” Gr., a·pheʹken to pneuʹma.
^ Or, “they,” not referring to the “bodies.”
^ Lit., “the centurion,” that is, the one in command of 100 soldiers.
^ Or, “a son of God; a son of a god.”
^ “Joses,” ABCDcSyh,p; אD*WVgSys, “Joseph.”
