Matthew 27
27
Judas Hangs Himself
1Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
6The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”#27:6 Greek since it is the price for blood. 7After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took#27:9 Or I took. the thirty pieces of silver—
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
10and purchased the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed.#27:9-10 Greek as the Lord directed me. Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9.”
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
11Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
12But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13“Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
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.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters#27:27 Or into the Praetorium. and called out the entire regiment. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
32Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,#27:32 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa. and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.#27:35 Greek by casting lots. A few late manuscripts add This fulfilled the word of the prophet: “They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my robe.” See Ps 22:18. 36Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38Two revolutionaries#27:38 Or criminals; also in 27:44. were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40“Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,#27:46a Some manuscripts read Eloi, Eloi. lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”#27:46b Ps 22:1.
47Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”#27:49 Some manuscripts add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and out flowed water and blood. Compare John 19:34.
50Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54The Roman officer#27:54 Greek The centurion. and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
57As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, on the Sabbath,#27:62 Or On the next day, which is after the Preparation. the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
65Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
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Matthew 27: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Matthew 27
27
1And when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so that they might put him to death. 2And having bound him they led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor. 3Then Judas, who delivered him up, seeing that he had been condemned, filled with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4saying, I have sinned in having delivered up guiltless blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5And having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself. 6And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, It is not lawful to cast them into the Corban, since it is the price of blood. 7And having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter for a burying-ground for strangers. 8Wherefore that field has been called Blood-field unto this day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, saying, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was set a price on, whom they who were of the sons of Israel had set a price on, 10and they gave them for the field of the potter, according as the Lord commanded me.
11But Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest. 12And when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders, he answered nothing. 13Then says Pilate to him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14And he answered him not so much as one word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. 15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whom they would. 16And they had then a notable prisoner, named Barabbas. 17They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom will ye that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? 18For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy. 19But, as he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered to-day many things in a dream because of him. 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should beg for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. 22Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. 23And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified. 24And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see ye to it. 25And all the people answering said, His blood be on us and on our children.
26Then he released to them Barabbas; but Jesus, having scourged him, he delivered up that he might be crucified. 27Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus with them to the praetorium, gathered against him the whole band, 28and having taken off his garment, put on him a scarlet cloak; 29and having woven a crown out of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And having spit upon him, they took the reed and beat him on his head. 31And when they had mocked him, they took the cloak off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify. 32And as they went forth they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go with them that he might bear his cross.
33And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a skull, 34they gave to him to drink vinegar mingled with gall; and having tasted it, he would not drink. 35And having crucified him, they parted his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept guard over him there. 37And they set up over his head his accusation written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. 38Then are crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. 39But the passers-by reviled him, shaking their heads 40and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou art Son of God, descend from the cross. 41And in like manner the chief priests also, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He saved others, himself he cannot save. He is King of Israel: let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him. 43He trusted upon God; let him save him now if he will have him. For he said, I am Son of God. 44And the robbers also who had been crucified with him cast the same reproaches on him. 45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour; 46but about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47And some of those who stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calls for Elias. 48And immediately one of them running and getting a sponge, having filled it with vinegar and fixed it on a reed, gave him to drink. 49But the rest said, Let be; let us see if Elias comes to save him.
50And Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. 51And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent, 52and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints fallen asleep arose, 53and going out of the tombs after his arising, entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. 54But the centurion, and they who were with him on guard over Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that took place, feared greatly, saying, Truly this man was Son of God. 55And there were there many women beholding from afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him, 56among whom was Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57Now when even was come there came a rich man of Arimathaea, his name Joseph, who also himself was a disciple to Jesus. 58He, going to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. 59And Joseph having got the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, went away. 61But Mary of Magdala was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulchre. 62Now on the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, 63saying, Sir, we have called to mind that that deceiver said when he was still alive, After three days I arise. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. 65And Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch: go, secure it as well as ye know how. 66And they went and secured the sepulchre, having sealed the stone, with the watch besides.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.