Matthew 27
27
1And morning having come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, so as to put him to death;
2and having bound him, they did lead away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
3Then Judas — he who delivered him up — having seen that he was condemned, having repented, brought back the thirty silverlings to the chief priests, and to the elders, saying,
4‘I did sin, having delivered up innocent blood;’ and they said, ‘What — to us? thou shalt see!’
5and having cast down the silverlings in the sanctuary, he departed, and having gone away, he did strangle himself.
6And the chief priests having taken the silverlings, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them to the treasury, seeing it is the price of blood;’
7and having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter, for the burial of strangers;
8therefore was that field called, ‘Field of blood,’ unto this day.
9Then was fulfilled that spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ‘And I took the thirty silverlings, the price of him who hath been priced, whom they of the sons of Israel did price,
10and gave them for the field of the potter, as the Lord did appoint to me.’
11And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor did question him, saying, ‘Art thou the king of the Jews!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Thou sayest.’
12And in his being accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not answer any thing,
13then saith Pilate to him, ‘Dost thou not hear how many things they witness against thee?’
14And he did not answer him, not even to one word, so that the governor did wonder greatly.
15And at the feast the governor had been accustomed to release one to the multitude, a prisoner, whom they willed,
16and they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas,
17they therefore having been gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom will ye I shall release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?’
18for he had known that because of envy they had delivered him up.
19And as he is sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Nothing — to thee and to that righteous one, for many things did I suffer to-day in a dream because of him.’
20And the chief priests and the elders did persuade the multitudes that they might ask for themselves Barabbas, and might destroy Jesus;
21and the governor answering said to them, ‘Which of the two will ye [that] I shall release to you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’
22Pilate saith to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all say to him, ‘Let be crucified!’
23And the governor said, ‘Why, what evil did he?’ and they were crying out the more, saying, ‘Let be crucified.’
24And Pilate having seen that it profiteth nothing, but rather a tumult is made, having taken water, he did wash the hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent from the blood of this righteous one; ye — ye shall see;’
25and all the people answering said, ‘His blood [is] upon us, and upon our children!’
26Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered [him] up that he may be crucified;
27then the soldiers of the governor having taken Jesus to the Praetorium, did gather to him all the band;
28and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak,
29and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put [it] on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, ‘Hail, the king of the Jews.’
30And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head;
31and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify [him].
32And coming forth, they found a man, a Cyrenian, by name Simon: him they impressed that he might bear his cross;
33and having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull,
34they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall, and having tasted, he would not drink.
35And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, ‘They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;’
36and sitting down, they were watching him there,
37and they put up over his head, his accusation written, ‘This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.’
38Then crucified with him are two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left,
39and those passing by were speaking evil of him, wagging their heads,
40and saying, ‘Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building [it], save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.’
41And in like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said,
42‘Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him;
43he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said — Son of God I am;’
44with the same also the robbers, who were crucified with him, were reproaching him.
45And from the sixth hour darkness came over all the land unto the ninth hour,
46and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?’
47And certain of those standing there having heard, said — ‘Elijah he doth call;’
48and immediately, one of them having run, and having taken a spunge, having filled [it] with vinegar, and having put [it] on a reed, was giving him to drink,
49but the rest said, ‘Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come — about to save him.’
50And Jesus having again cried with a great voice, yielded the spirit;
51and lo, the vail of the sanctuary was rent in two from top unto bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent,
52and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose,
53and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many.
54And the centurion, and those with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were exceedingly afraid, saying, ‘Truly this was God's Son.’
55And there were there many women beholding from afar, who did follow Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,
56among whom was Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and of Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57And evening having come, there came a rich man, from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was discipled to Jesus,
58he having gone near to Pilate, asked for himself the body of Jesus; then Pilate commanded the body to be given back.
59And having taken the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen,
60and laid it in his new tomb, that he hewed in the rock, and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, he went away;
61and there were there Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over-against the sepulchre.
62And on the morrow that is after the preparation, were gathered together the chief priests, and the Pharisees, unto Pilate,
63saying, ‘Sir, we have remembered that that deceiver said while yet living, After three days I do rise;
64command, then, the sepulchre to be made secure till the third day, lest his disciples, having come by night, may steal him away, and may say to the people, He rose from the dead, and the last deceit shall be worse than the first.’
65And Pilate said to them, ‘Ye have a watch, go away, make secure — as ye have known;’
66and they, having gone, did make the sepulchre secure, having sealed the stone, together with the watch.
Currently Selected:
Matthew 27: YLT98
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Matthew 27
27
Thirty Silver Coins
1-2In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.
3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.”
They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!”
5Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
6-10The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn’t know what to do with them. “It wouldn’t be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple.” They decided to get rid of it by buying the “Potter’s Field” and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That’s how the field got called “Murder Meadow,” a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah’s words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel,
And they purchased the potter’s field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Pilate
11Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
Jesus said, “If you say so.”
12-14But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, “Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren’t you going to say something?” Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.
15-18It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, “Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?” He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19While court was still in session, Pilate’s wife sent him a message: “Don’t get mixed up in judging this noble man. I’ve just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him.”
20Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21The governor asked, “Which of the two do you want me to pardon?”
They said, “Barabbas!”
22“Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?”
They all shouted, “Nail him to a cross!”
23He objected, “But for what crime?”
But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, “I’m washing my hands of responsibility for this man’s death. From now on, it’s in your hands. You’re judge and jury.”
25The crowd answered, “We’ll take the blame, we and our children after us.”
26Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.
The Crucifixion
27-31The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red robe. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” they said. “Bravo!” Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.
32-34Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus’ cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call “Skull Hill,” they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn’t drink it.
35-40After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they killed time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”
41-44The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—he can’t save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his ‘Son’ now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God’s Son, didn’t he?” Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.
45-46From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47-49Some bystanders who heard him said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, “Don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s see if Elijah comes and saves him.”
50But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What’s more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus’ resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, “This has to be the Son of God!”
55-56There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
The Tomb
57-61Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.
62-64After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, “Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’ We’ve got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There’s a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, ‘He’s risen from the dead.’ Then we’ll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first.”
65-66Pilate told them, “You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can.” So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.