Chapter 27
1 Now when morning had come , all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death .
2 They bound him , led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate , the governor .
3 Then Judas , who betrayed him , when he saw that Jesus was condemned , felt remorse , and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders ,
4 saying , " I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." But they said , " What is that to us ? You see to it ."
5 He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary and departed. Then he went away and hanged himself .
6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said , " It ’s not lawful to put them into the treasury , since it is the price of blood."
7 They took counsel , and bought the potter ’s field with them to bury strangers in .
8 Therefore that field has been called " The Field of Blood" to this day .
9 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled , saying , " They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set , whom some of the children of Israel priced,
10 and they gave them for the potter ’ s field, as the Lord commanded me ."
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor ; and the governor asked him , saying , " Are you the King of the Jews ?" Jesus said to him , " So you say ."
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and elders , he answered nothing .
13 Then Pilate said to him , "Don’ t you hear how many things they testify against you ?"
14 He gave him no answer, not even one word , so that the governor marvelled greatly .
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner whom they desired .
16 They had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas.
17 When therefore they were gathered together , Pilate said to them , " Whom do you want me to release to you ? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ?"
18 For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up .
19 While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent to him , saying , " Have nothing to do with that righteous man , for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him ."
20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus .
21 But the governor answered them , " Which of the two do you want me to release to you ?" They said , "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them , " What then shall I do to Jesus who is called Christ ?" They all said to him , " Let him be crucified !"
23 But the governor said , " Why ? What evil has he done ?" But they cried out exceedingly , saying , " Let him be crucified !"
24 So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting , he took water and washed his hands before the multitude , saying , " I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person . You see to it ."
25 All the people answered , " May his blood be on us and on our children !"
26 Then he released Barabbas to them , but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified .
27 Then the governor ’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium , and gathered the whole garrison together against him .
28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him .
29 They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head , and a reed in his right hand ; and they knelt down before him and mocked him , saying , " Hail , King of the Jews !"
30 They spat on him , and took the reed and struck him on the head .
31 When they had mocked him , they took the robe off him , and put his clothes on him , and led him away to crucify him .
32 As they came out , they found a man of Cyrene , Simon by name , and they compelled him to go with them , that he might carry his cross .
33 When they came to a place called " Golgotha ", that is to say , " The place of a skull ,"
34 they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall . When he had tasted it , he would not drink .
35 When they had crucified him , they divided his clothing amongst them , casting lots ,
36 and they sat and watched him there .
37 They set up over his head the accusation against him written , " THIS IS JESUS , THE KING OF THE JEWS ."
38 Then there were two robbers crucified with him , one on his right hand and one on the left .
39 Those who passed by blasphemed him , wagging their heads
40 and saying , " You who destroy the temple and build it in three days , save yourself ! If you are the Son of God , come down from the cross !"
41 Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes , the Pharisees, and the elders , said ,
42 " He saved others , but he can ’ t save himself . If he is the King of Israel , let him come down from the cross now , and we will believe in him .
43 He trusts in God . Let God deliver him now , if he wants him ; for he said , ‘ I am the Son of God .’"
44 The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach .
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour .
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice , saying , " Eli , Eli , lima sabachthani ?" That is , " My God , my God , why have you forsaken me ?"
47 Some of them who stood there , when they heard it , said , " This man is calling Elijah ."
48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge , filled it with vinegar , put it on a reed , and gave him a drink .
49 The rest said , " Let him be . Let ’s see whether Elijah comes to save him ."
50 Jesus cried again with a loud voice , and yielded up his spirit .
51 Behold , the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom . The earth quaked and the rocks were split .
52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised ;
53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection , they entered into the holy city and appeared to many .
54 Now the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus , when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done , were terrified , saying , " Truly this was the Son of God !"
55 Many women were there watching from afar , who had followed Jesus from Galilee , serving him .
56 Amongst them were Mary Magdalene , Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee .
57 When evening had come , a rich man from Arimathaea named Joseph , who himself was also Jesus ’ disciple , came .
58 This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus ’ body . Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up .
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth
60 and laid it in his own new tomb , which he had cut out in the rock . Then he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb , and departed.
61 Mary Magdalene was there , and the other Mary , sitting opposite the tomb.
62 Now on the next day , which was the day after the Preparation Day , the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate ,
63 saying , " Sir , we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive : ‘ After three days I will rise again .’
64 Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day , lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away , and tell the people , ‘ He is risen from the dead ;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first ."
65 Pilate said to them , " You have a guard . Go , make it as secure as you can ."
66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone .