Matthew 27
27
Jesus before Pilate
1Early in the morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people reached the decision to have Jesus put to death. 2They bound him, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate the governor.
Judas’ death
3When Judas, who betrayed Jesus, saw that Jesus was condemned to die, he felt deep regret. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, and 4said, “I did wrong because I betrayed an innocent man.”
But they said, “What is that to us? That’s your problem.” 5Judas threw the silver pieces into the temple and left. Then he went and hanged himself.
6The chief priests picked up the silver pieces and said, “According to the Law it’s not right to put this money in the treasury. Since it was used to pay for someone’s life, it’s unclean.” 7So they decided to use it to buy the potter’s field where strangers could be buried. 8That’s why that field is called “Field of Blood” to this very day. 9This fulfilled the words of Jeremiah the prophet: And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price for the one whose price had been set by some of the Israelites, 10and I gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.#27.10 Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9
Questioned by Pilate
11Jesus was brought before the governor. The governor said, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” 12But he didn’t answer when the chief priests and elders accused him.
13Then Pilate said, “Don’t you hear the testimony they bring against you?” 14But he didn’t answer, not even a single word. So the governor was greatly amazed.
Death sentence
15It was customary during the festival for the governor to release to the crowd one prisoner, whomever they might choose. 16At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17When the crowd had come together, Pilate asked them, “Whom would you like me to release to you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18He knew that the leaders of the people had handed him over because of jealousy.
19While he was serving as judge, his wife sent this message to him, “Leave that righteous man alone. I’ve suffered much today in a dream because of him.”
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and kill Jesus. 21The governor said, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
“Barabbas,” they replied.
22Pilate said, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
They all said, “Crucify him!”
23But he said, “Why? What wrong has he done?”
They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”
24Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was starting. So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I’m innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It’s your problem.”
25All the people replied, “Let his blood be on us and on our children.” 26Then he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.
Soldiers mocking Jesus
27The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s house, and they gathered the whole company#27.27 Or cohort (approximately six hundred soldiers) of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a red military coat on him. 29They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed down in front of him and mocked him, saying, “Hey! King of the Jews!” 30After they spit on him, they took the stick and struck his head again and again. 31When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the military coat and put his own clothes back on him. They led him away to crucify him.
Crucifixion
32As they were going out, they found Simon, a man from Cyrene. They forced him to carry his cross. 33When they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place, 34they gave Jesus wine mixed with vinegar to drink. But after tasting it, he didn’t want to drink it. 35After they crucified him, they divided up his clothes among them by drawing lots. 36They sat there, guarding him. 37They placed above his head the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” 38They crucified with him two outlaws, one on his right side and one on his left.
39Those who were walking by insulted Jesus, shaking their heads 40and saying, “So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you? Save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross.”
41In the same way, the chief priests, along with the legal experts and the elders, were making fun of him, saying, 42“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. He’s the king of Israel, so let him come down from the cross now. Then we’ll believe in him. 43He trusts in God, so let God deliver him now if he wants to. He said, ‘I’m God’s Son.’” 44The outlaws who were crucified with him insulted him in the same way.
Death
45From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. 46At about three Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”#27.46 Ps 22:1
47After hearing him, some standing there said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48One of them ran over, took a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink.
49But the rest of them said, “Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.”
50Again Jesus cried out with a loud shout. Then he died.
51Look, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, 52and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised. 53After Jesus’ resurrection they came out of their graves and went into the holy city where they appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what had just happened, they were filled with awe and said, “This was certainly God’s Son.”
55Many women were watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to serve him. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Burial
57That evening a man named Joseph came. He was a rich man from Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus. 58He came to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission to take it. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. After he rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb, he went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting in front of the tomb.
Guard at the tomb
62The next day, which was the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate. 63They said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will arise.’ 64Therefore, order the grave to be sealed until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people, ‘He’s been raised from the dead.’ This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65Pilate replied, “You have soldiers for guard duty. Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66Then they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
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Matthew 27: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Matthew 27
27
Jesus Brought before Pilate
1When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
The Suicide of Judas
3When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus#27.3 Gk he was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent#27.4 Other ancient authorities read righteous blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. 8For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,#27.9 Other ancient authorities read Zechariah or Isaiah “And they took#27.9 Or I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set,#27.9 Or the price of the precious One on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10and they gave#27.10 Other ancient authorities read I gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus
11Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Barabbas or Jesus?
15Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus#27.16 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus Barabbas. 17So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus#27.17 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”#27.17 Or the Christ 18For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”#27.22 Or the Christ All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified
24So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood;#27.24 Other ancient authorities read this righteous blood, or this righteous man's blood see to it yourselves.” 25Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters,#27.27 Gk the praetorium and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;#27.35 Other ancient authorities add in order that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by derided#27.39 Or blasphemed him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself.#27.42 Or is he unable to save himself? He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God's Son.’ ” 44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land#27.45 Or earth until three in the afternoon. 46And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”#27.49 Other ancient authorities add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and out came water and blood 50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.#27.50 Or gave up his spirit 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God's Son!”#27.54 Or a son of God
55Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard#27.65 Or Take a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.”#27.65 Gk you know how 66So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.