Matthew 27

¹Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: ²and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor.

³Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it. ⁵And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. ⁶And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood. ⁷And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. ⁸Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom certain of the children of Israel did price; ¹⁰and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

¹¹Now 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. ¹²And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? ¹⁴And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. ¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would. ¹⁶And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? ¹⁸For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up. ¹⁹And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. ²⁰Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ²¹But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. ²²Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. ²³And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified. ²⁴So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it. ²⁵And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. ²⁶Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified.

²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Prætorium, and gathered unto him the whole band. ²⁸And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. ²⁹And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! ³⁰And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. ³¹And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him.

³²And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear his cross.

³³And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull, ³⁴they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted it, he would not drink. ³⁵And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots; ³⁶and they sat and watched him there. ³⁷And they set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸Then are there crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. ³⁹And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, ⁴⁰and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross. ⁴¹In like manner also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴²He saved others; himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him. ⁴³He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God. ⁴⁴And the robbers also that were crucified with him cast upon him the same reproach.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ⁴⁷And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah. ⁴⁸And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. ⁴⁹And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him. ⁵⁰And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. ⁵¹And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; ⁵²and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. ⁵⁴Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. ⁵⁵And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: ⁵⁶among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

⁵⁷And when even was come, there came a rich man from Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: ⁵⁸this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given up. ⁵⁹And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and 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 tomb, and departed. ⁶¹And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

⁶²Now on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate, ⁶³saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again. ⁶⁴Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first. ⁶⁵Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard: go, make it as sure as ye can. ⁶⁶So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.