Matthew 27
1 Very early the next morning all the chief priests and Jewish elders decided how [to arrange for the Romans] to execute Jesus.
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2 They tied his hands and took him to Pilate, the [Roman] governor.
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 When Judas, the one who had (betrayed/enabled Jesus’ enemies to seize) him, realized that they had decided to have Jesus executed, he was very sorry [about what he had done]. He took the 30 coins back to the chief priests and elders.
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 He said, “I have sinned. I have (betrayed/enabled you to seize) a man who (is innocent/has not done anything wrong).” They replied, “(That means nothing to us!/What does that mean to us?) [RHQ] That is your problem!”
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see you to that.
5 So Judas [took] the money [and] threw it inside the Temple. Then he went away and hanged himself.
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 [Later] the high priests [found] the coins. They picked them up and said, “This is money that we paid [to have a man killed] [MTY], and our law does not allow [such money] to be put {us to put [such money]} into the [Temple treasury].”
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 So they decided to use that money to buy the field where clay was dug for making pots {men dug ground for making pots}. [They made that field] a place where they buried strangers [who died in Jerusalem].
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
8 That is why that place is still called {why they still call that place} ‘The field of blood’.
Why that field was called, The field of blood, to this day.
9 [By buying that field], they fulfilled these words that the prophet Jeremiah wrote [long ago]: They took the 30 silver coins; That was what the leaders of Israel decided [that he was worth];
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 with that money they bought the field where clay was dug for potters. They did that as the Lord had commanded me.
And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.
11 Jesus stood in front of [Pilate], the governor. The governor asked Jesus, “Do you [claim to be] the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “[It is] as you have [just] said.”
And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, You say.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and elders {When the chief priests and elders accused him} about various things, he did not answer.
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 So Pilate said to him, “You hear how many things they are saying to accuse you; [are you not going to reply]?”
Then said Pilate to him, Hear you not how many things they witness against you?
14 But [even though he was not guilty], Jesus did not say anything. He did not reply to any of the things about which they were accusing him. As a result, the governor was very surprised.
And he answered him to never a word; so that the governor marveled greatly.
15 It was the governor’s custom [each year] during the [Passover] celebration to release [one person who was in prison]. [He released] whichever prisoner the people wanted.
Now at that feast the governor was wont to release to the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16 At that time there was [in Jerusalem] a well-known prisoner whose name was Barabbas.
And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17 So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which [prisoner] would you like me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus, whom [some of you] claim to be the Messiah?”
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom will you that I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18 [He asked that question] because he realized that the chief priests [wanted to have Jesus executed]. They had brought Jesus to him [only] because they were jealous of Jesus. [And Pilate thought that the crowd would prefer that he release Jesus].
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the platform [where he made] judicial [decisions], his wife sent him [this message]: “Early this morning I had a bad dream because of that man. So do not condemn that righteous man!”
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have you 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 crowd to ask [Pilate to] release Barabbas, and to [order] that Jesus be executed {that [his soldiers] execute Jesus}.
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 So when the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?” They replied, “Barabbas!”
The governor answered and said to them, Whether of the two will you that I release to you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate, [very astonished], asked, “So what shall I do with Jesus who [some of you] say is the Messiah?” They all answered, “[Command that] he be crucified! {[Command your soldiers] (to crucify him/to nail him to a cross)}!”
Pilate says to them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say to him, Let him be crucified.
23 Pilate replied, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, “[Have] him crucified {[Command that your soldiers] crucify him}!”
And the governor said, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 Pilate realized that he was accomplishing nothing. He saw that instead, the people were starting to riot. So he took [a basin of] water and washed his hands as the crowd was watching. He said, “[By washing my hands I am showing you that] if this man dies [MTY], it is [your] fault, [not mine]!”
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 you to it.
25 And all the people answered, “The guilt for causing him to die [MTY] will be on us, and it will be on our children, too!”
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then he [ordered the soldiers to] release Barabbas for them. But he [ordered that his soldiers] flog Jesus. And then he turned Jesus over to the soldiers for them (to nail Jesus to a cross/to crucify him).
Then released he Barabbas to them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the government headquarters. The whole (cohort/group of soldiers) gathered around him.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered to him the whole band of soldiers.
28 They pulled off [his clothes], and [pretending he was a king, they] put a purple robe on him.
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 They [took some branches with] thorns and wove them to make a crown and put it on his head. They put in his right hand a reed [like a staff that a king would hold]. Then they knelt in front of him and made fun of him, saying, “Hooray for the king of the Jews [IRO]!”
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on 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 They kept spitting on him. They took the staff and kept striking him on the head with it.
And they spit on him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 When they had finished ridiculing him, they pulled off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to [the place where they] would nail him to a cross.
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 [After Jesus carried his cross] a short distance, [the soldiers] saw a man named Simon, [who was] from Cyrene [city]. They forced him to carry the cross for Jesus.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha. That name means ‘the place [like] a skull’.
And when they were come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 When [they got there], they mixed with wine something that tasted very bitter. They gave it to [Jesus] to drink [so that he would not feel so much pain when they nailed him on the cross]. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. [Some soldiers took his clothes].
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 Then they nailed him to the cross. Afterwards, they divided his clothes among themselves by gambling with something like dice [to decide which piece of clothing each one would get].
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 on my clothing did they cast lots.
36 Then the soldiers sat down there to guard him, [to prevent anyone from trying to rescue him].
And sitting down they watched him there;
37 They fastened [to the cross] above Jesus’ head a [sign on which had been] {[they had]} written why [they] were nailing him to the cross. [But all] it said was, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews’.
And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Two bandits were also nailed {They also nailed two bandits} on crosses. One was nailed to a cross on the right side [of Jesus] and one to a cross on the left side.
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 The people who were passing by insulted him by shaking their heads [as if he were an evil man].
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 They said, “You [said you] would destroy the Temple, and then you would build it again within three days! [So if you could do that], you [should be able to] save yourself! If you are the man who is also God (OR, If you are the Son of God), come down from the cross!”
And saying, You that destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself. If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Similarly, the chief priests, the men who taught the [Jewish] laws and the elders made fun of him. [Various ones of them] said things like,
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 “He [claims that he] saved others [IRO] [from their sicknesses], but he cannot help himself!” “He [says that he] is [IRO] the King of Israel. So he should come down from the cross. Then we would believe him!”
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 [says that he] trusts in God, and that he is the man who is also God. So if God is pleased with him, God should rescue him now!”
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 And the [two] bandits who had been crucified with him also insulted him, saying similar things.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45 At noon it became dark over the whole land. [It stayed dark] until three o’clock [in the afternoon].
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land to the ninth hour.
46 At about three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’
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 have you forsaken me?
47 When some of the people standing there heard [the word ‘Eli’, misunderstanding it], they said, “He is calling for [the prophet] Elijah!”
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elias.
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine. Then he put the sponge on [the tip of] a reed and [held it up in order that Jesus] could suck out [the wine that was in it].
And 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.
49 But the other [people there] said, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him!”
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Then after Jesus shouted out loudly again, he died, giving his spirit over [to God].
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 At that moment the [heavy thick] curtain [that closed off the most holy place] in the Temple split into two pieces from top to bottom. [That signified that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God]. The earth shook, and [some large] rocks split open.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 [Some] tombs opened up, and the bodies of many godly people who had died became alive again.
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus became alive again, they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people [there].
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 The officer who supervised the soldiers [who nailed Jesus to the cross was standing nearby]. His soldiers who had been on guard [so that no one would rescue] Jesus [were also there]. When they [felt] the earthquake and saw all the [other] things that happened, they were terrified. They exclaimed, “Truly he was both man and God! (OR, a Son of God).”
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 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They were women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee [district] in order to provide the things he needed.
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him:
56 Among these women were Mary from Magdala [town], [another] Mary who was the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John.
Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
57 When it was [almost] evening, a rich man named Joseph came [there]. He was from Arimathea [town]. He also was a disciple of Jesus.
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
58 He then went to Pilate and asked Pilate to [allow him to take] the body of Jesus [and bury it]. Pilate ordered that [he] be allowed to {[his soldiers] let [Joseph]} take [the body].
He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 So Joseph [and others] took the body and wrapped it in a clean white cloth.
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 Then they placed it in Joseph’s own new tomb that had been dug out of the rock [cliff]. They rolled a huge [circular flat] stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then they left.
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 sepulcher, and departed.
61 Mary from Magdala and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb, [watching].
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher.
62 The next day was Saturday, the Jewish day of rest. The chief priests and [some of] the Pharisees went to Pilate.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate,
63 They said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive, he said, ‘Three days after I [die I] will become alive again.’
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 So we ask you to order that the tomb be guarded {that [soldiers] guard the tomb} for three days. If you do not do that, his disciples may come and steal the body. Then they will tell people that he has risen from the dead. If they deceive [people by saying that], it will be worse than the way he deceived people before [by saying that he was the Messiah].”
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate replied, “You [can] take some soldiers. Go to the tomb and make it as secure as you know how.”
Pilate said to them, You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can.
66 So they went and made the tomb secure by [fastening a cord from] the stone [that was in front of the entrance to the rock cliff on each side] and sealing it. They also [left some soldiers there to] guard [the tomb].
So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
