Matthew

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 27, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 27 New English Translation

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

   1 When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. 2 They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Judas' Suicide

   3 Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!" But they said, "What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!" 5 So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests took the silver and said, "It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money." 7 After consulting together they bought the Potter's Field with it, as a burial place for foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the "Field of Blood" to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD commanded me."

Jesus and Pilate

   11 Then Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond. 13 Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?" 14 But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.
   15 During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted. 16 At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?" 18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. ) 19 As he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today." 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor asked them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas!" 22 Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" They all said, "Crucify him!" 23 He asked, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they shouted more insistently, "Crucify him!"

Jesus is Condemned and Mocked

   24 When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. You take care of it yourselves!" 25 In reply all the people said, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, 29 and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: "Hail, king of the Jews!" 30 They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head. 31 When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

   32 As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull") 34 and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink. But after tasting it, he would not drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. 37 Above his head they put the charge against him, which read: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews." 38 Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God's Son, come down from the cross!" 41 In the same way even the chief priests - together with the experts in the law and elders - were mocking him: 42 "He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! 43 He trusts in God - let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, 'I am God's Son'!" 44 The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Jesus' Death

   45 Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land. 46 At about three o'clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." 48 Immediately 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. 49 But the rest said, "Leave him alone! Let's see if Elijah will come to save him." 50 Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. 52 And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. 53 (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. ) 54 Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, "Truly this one was God's Son!" 55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support were also there, watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus' Burial

   57 Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb. )

The Guard at the Tomb

   62 The next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate 63 and said, "Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people, 'He has been raised from the dead, ' and the last deception will be worse than the first." 65 Pilate said to them, "Take a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can." 66 So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

King James Version

   1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
   2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
   3 ¶ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
   4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
   5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
   6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
   7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
   8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
   9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
   10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
   11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
   12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
   13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
   14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
   15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
   16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
   17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
   18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
   19 ¶ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
   20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
   21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
   22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
   23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
   24 ¶ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
   25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
   26 ¶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
   27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
   28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
   29 ¶ And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
   30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
   31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
   32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
   33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
   34 ¶ They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
   35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
   36 And sitting down they watched him there;
   37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
   38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
   39 ¶ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
   40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
   41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
   42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
   43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
   44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
   45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
   46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
   47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
   48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
   49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
   50 ¶ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
   51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
   52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
   53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
   54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
   55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
   56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
   57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
   58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
   59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
   60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
   61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
   62 ¶ Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
   63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
   64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
   65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
   66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.