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 is Taken to Pilate
(Mk 15.1; Lk 23.1–2; Jn 18.28–32)
1Early in the morning all the chief priests and the elders made their plans against Jesus to put him to death. 2They put him in chains, led him off, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman governor.
The Death of Judas
(Acts 1.18–19)
3 #
Acts 1.18–19
When Judas, the traitor, learnt that Jesus had been condemned, he repented and took back the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned by betraying an innocent man to death!” he said.
“What do we care about that?” they answered. “That is your business!”
5Judas threw the coins down in the Temple and left; then he went off and hanged himself.
6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “This is blood money, and it is against our Law to put it in the temple treasury.” 7After reaching an agreement about it, they used the money to buy Potter's Field, as a cemetery for foreigners. 8That is why that field is called “Field of Blood” to this very day.
9 #
Zech 11.12–13
Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true: “They took the thirty silver coins, the amount the people of Israel had agreed to pay for him, 10and used the money to buy the potter's field, as the Lord had commanded me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Mk 15.2–5; Lk 23.3–5; Jn 18.33–38)
11Jesus stood before the Roman governor, who questioned him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked.
“So you say,” answered Jesus. 12But he said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and elders.
13So Pilate said to him, “Don't you hear all these things they accuse you of?”
14But Jesus refused to answer a single word, with the result that the Governor was greatly surprised.
Jesus is Sentenced to Death
(Mk 15.6–15; Lk 23.13–25; Jn 18.39—19.16)
15At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. 16At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?” 18He knew very well that the Jewish authorities had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
19While Pilate was sitting in the judgement hall, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of him.”
20The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. 21But Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one of these two do you want me to set free for you?”
“Barabbas!” they answered.
22“What, then, shall I do with Jesus called the Messiah?” Pilate asked them.
“Crucify him!” they all answered.
23But Pilate asked, “What crime has he committed?”
Then they started shouting at the top of their voices: “Crucify him!”
24 #
Deut 21.6–9
When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, but that a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing!”
25The whole crowd answered, “Let the responsibility for his death fall on us and our children!”
26Then Pilate set Barabbas free for them; and after he had Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
(Mk 15.16–20; Jn 19.2–3)
27Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace, and the whole company gathered round him. 28They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. 29Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand; then they knelt before him and mocked him. “Long live the King of the Jews!” they said. 30They spat on him, and took the stick and hit him over the head. 31When they had finished mocking him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Jesus is Crucified
(Mk 15.21–32; Lk 23.26–43; Jn 19.17–27)
32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means, “The Place of the Skull”. 34#Ps 69.21There they offered Jesus wine mixed with a bitter substance; but after tasting it, he would not drink it.
35 #
Ps 22.18
They crucified him and then divided his clothes among them by throwing dice. 36After that they sat there and watched him. 37Above his head they put the written notice of the accusation against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38Then they crucified two bandits with Jesus, one on his right and the other on his left.
39 #
Ps 22.7; 109.25 People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus: 40#Mt 26.61; Jn 2.19“You were going to tear down the Temple and build it up again in three days! Save yourself if you are God's Son! Come on down from the cross!”
41In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and the elders jeered at him: 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Isn't he the king of Israel? If he comes down off the cross now, we will believe in him! 43#Ps 22.8He trusts in God and claims to be God's Son. Well, then, let us see if God wants to save him now!”
44Even the bandits who had been crucified with him insulted him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
(Mk 15.33–41; Lk 23.44–49; Jn 19.28–30)
45At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. 46#Ps 22.1At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
47Some of the people standing there heard him and said, “He is calling for Elijah!” 48#Ps 69.21One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make him drink it.
49But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save him!”
50Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
51 #
Ex 26.31–33
Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, 52the graves broke open, and many of God's people who had died were raised to life. 53They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them.
54When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, “He really was the Son of God!”
55 #
Lk 8.2–3
There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped him. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
(Mk 15.42–47; Lk 23.50–56; Jn 19.38–42)
57When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea arrived; his name was Joseph, and he also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate gave orders for the body to be given to Joseph. 59So Joseph took it, wrapped it in a new linen sheet, 60and placed it in his own tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate 63#Mt 16.21; 17.23; 20.19; Mk 8.31; 9.31; 10.33–34; Lk 9.22; 18.31–33and said, “Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, ‘I will be raised to life three days later.’ 64Give orders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his disciples will not be able to go and steal the body, and then tell the people that he was raised from death. This last lie would be even worse than the first one.”
65“Take a guard,” Pilate told them; “go and make the tomb as secure as you can.”
66So they left and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and leaving the guard on watch.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.