Matthew 27

1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.

2They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

3When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders.

4Judas said: I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood. They replied: What is that to us? That is your responsibility.

5Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

6The chief priests picked up the coins and said: It is not lawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.

7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.

8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on Him by the people of Israel,

10And they used them to buy the potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me.

11Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him: Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said: You have said so.

12When the chief priests and elders brought charges against Him, He gave no answer.

13Then Pilate asked Him: Do you not hear how many charges they are bringing against you?

14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge, and the governor was greatly amazed.

15Now it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.

16At that time they had a well-known prisoner named Barabbas.

17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them: Which one do you want me to release to you — Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?

18He knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: Do not have anything to do with that innocent man, because today I have suffered a great deal in a dream because of Him.

20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death.

21The governor asked them: Which of the two do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, they answered.

22Pilate asked: Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ? They all answered: Crucify Him!

23Why? What crime has He committed? Pilate asked. But they shouted all the louder: Crucify Him!

24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that instead a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying: I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility!

25All the people answered: Let His blood be on us and on our children.

26Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus whipped, and handed Him over to be crucified.

27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's headquarters and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him.

28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him,

29And they twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews!

30They spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again.

31After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

32As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.

33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull.

34There they offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink, but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.

35When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots.

36And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

37Above His head they placed the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.

39Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads

40And saying: You who would destroy the temple and rebuild 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, the teachers of the law, and the elders mocked Him and said:

42He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the king of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

43He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him now if God wants Him, for He said: I am the Son of God.

44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him.

45From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over all the land.

46About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said: He is calling Elijah.

48Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

49The rest said: Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He 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 split apart.

52The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

53They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared to many people.

54When the Roman army captain and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and everything that had happened, they were terrified and said: Truly this was the Son of God!

55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs.

56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

57As evening approached, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus, came.

58He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60And placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a large stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.

62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate together.

63They said: Sir, we remember that while He was still alive, that deceiver said: After three days I will rise again.

64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception would be worse than the first.

65Pilate answered: Take a guard. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.

66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.