Matthew 8
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Heals a Man
(Mark 1.40-45; Luke 5.12-16)
8 As Jesus came down the mountain, he was followed by large crowds. 2 Suddenly a man with leprosy[a] came and knelt in front of Jesus. He said, “Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”
3 Jesus put his hand on the man and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared. 4 (A) Jesus told him, “Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed.”[b]
Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant
(Luke 7.1-10; John 4.43-54)
5 When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, 6 “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can't even move.”
7 “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9 (B) I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith! 11 (C) Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 (D) But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”
Right then his servant was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People
(Mark 1.29-34; Luke 4.38-41)
14 Jesus went to the home of Peter, where he found that Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. 15 He took her by the hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and served Jesus a meal.
16 That evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. 17 (E) So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
“He healed our diseases
and made us well.”
Some Who Wanted To Go with Jesus
(Luke 9.57-62)
18 When Jesus saw the crowd,[c] he went across Lake Galilee. 19 A teacher of the Law of Moses came up to him and said, “Teacher, I'll go anywhere with you!”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests. But the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his own.”
21 (F) Another disciple said to Jesus, “Lord, let me wait till I bury my father.”
22 Jesus answered, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”[d]
A Storm
(Mark 4.35-41; Luke 8.22-25)
23 After Jesus left in a boat with his disciples, 24 a terrible storm suddenly struck the lake, and waves started splashing into their boat.
Jesus was sound asleep, 25 so the disciples went over to him and woke him up. They said, “Lord, wake up! Save us before we drown!”
26 But Jesus replied, “Why are you so afraid? You surely don't have much faith.” Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to calm down. And everything was calm.
27 The men in the boat were amazed and said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.”
Two Men with Demons in Them
(Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39)
28 After Jesus had crossed the lake, he came to shore near the town of Gadara[e] and started down the road. Two men with demons in them came to him from the tombs.[f] They were so fierce that no one could travel that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “Jesus, Son of God, what do you want with us? Have you come to punish us before our time?”
30 Not far from there a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 So the demons begged Jesus, “If you force us out, please send us into those pigs!” 32 Jesus told them to go, and they went out of the men and into the pigs. All at once the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
33 The people taking care of the pigs ran to the town and told everything, especially what had happened to the two men. 34 Everyone in town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their part of the country.
Footnotes
- 8.2 leprosy: In biblical times the word “leprosy” was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
- 8.4 everyone will know that you have been healed: People with leprosy had to be examined by a priest and told that they were well (that is “clean”) before they could once again live a normal life in the Jewish community. The gift that Moses commanded was the sacrifice of some lambs together with flour mixed with olive oil.
- 8.18 saw the crowd: Some manuscripts have “large crowd.” Others have “large crowds.”
- 8.22 let the dead bury their dead: For the Jewish people a proper burial of their dead was a very important duty. But Jesus teaches that following him is even more important.
- 8.28 Gadara: Some manuscripts have “Gergesa.” Others have “Gerasa.”
- 8.28 tombs: It was thought that demons and evil spirits lived in tombs and in caves that were used for burying the dead.
Matthew 23-27
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-52; 20.45-47)
23 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. 3 So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.
4 They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help. 5 (A) Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels[a] for everyone to see. 6 They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues. 7 And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers.
8 But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9 Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10 None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11 (B) Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. 12 (C) If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.
13-14 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in.[b]
15 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
16 You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. 17 You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. 19 Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there. 22 (D) To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne.
23 (E) You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. 24 You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.
25 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
27 (F) You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed.[c] On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. 28 That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.
29 You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. 30 And you claim you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. 31 But you prove you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. 32 So keep on doing everything they did. 33 (G) You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?
34 I will send to you prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses. You will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your synagogues or chase them from town to town. 35 (H) That's why you will be held guilty for the murder of every good person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Barachiah's son Zechariah,[d] the man you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I can promise that you people living today will be punished for all these things!
Jesus Loves Jerusalem
(Luke 13.34,35)
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn't let me. 38 (I) And now your temple will be deserted. 39 (J) You won't see me again until you say,
“Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.”
The Temple Will Be Destroyed
(Mark 13.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
24 After Jesus left the temple, his disciples came over and said, “Look at all these buildings!”
2 Jesus replied, “Do you see these buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”
Warning about Trouble
(Mark 13.3-13; Luke 21.7-19)
3 (K) Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, “When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?”
4 Jesus answered:
Don't let anyone fool you. 5 Many will come and claim to be me. They will say they are the Messiah, and they will fool many people.
6 You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 7 (L) Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. 8 But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9 (M) You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. 10 Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. 12 Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. 13 (N) But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. 14 When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.
The Horrible Thing
(Mark 13.14-23; Luke 21.20-24)
15 (O) Someday you will see that “Horrible Thing” in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! 16 If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 17 (P) If you are on the roof[e] of your house, don't go inside to get anything. 18 If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 19 It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 20 And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath.[f] 21 (Q) This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. 22 If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
23 Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don't believe it. 24 False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 25 But I have warned you ahead of time. 26 (R) If you are told the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told he is in some secret place, don't believe it! 27 The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west. 28 (S) Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures.[g]
When the Son of Man Appears
(Mark 13.24-27; Luke 21.25-28)
29 (T) Right after those days of suffering,
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky[h]
will be shaken.”
30 (U) Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man.[i] All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.
A Lesson from a Fig Tree
(Mark 13.28-31; Luke 21.29-33)
32 Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. 33 So when you see all these things happening, you will know the time has almost come.[j] 34 I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 35 The sky and the earth won't last forever, but my words will.
No One Knows the Day or Time
(Mark 13.32-37; Luke 17.26-30,34-36)
36 No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know.[k] Only the Father knows. 37 (V) When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. 38 People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. 39 (W) They didn't know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. This is how it will be when the Son of Man appears.
40 Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 41 Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 42 So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. 43 (X) Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. 44 Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
Faithful and Unfaithful Servants
(Luke 12.35-48)
45 Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? 46 Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. 47 You may be sure a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. 48 But suppose one of the servants thinks the master won't return until late. 49 Suppose this evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. 50 If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. 51 This servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.
A Story about Ten Young Women
25 (Y) The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten young women took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom.[l] 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps.
5 The groom was late arriving, and the young women became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here's the groom! Come to meet him!”
7 When the women got up and started getting their lamps ready, 8 the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
9 Those who were wise answered, “There's not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
10 While the foolish ones were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The five who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed. 11 (Z) Later the others returned and shouted, “Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
12 But the groom replied, “I don't even know you!”
13 So, my disciples, always be ready! You don't know the day or the time when all this will happen.
A Story about Three Servants
(Luke 19.11-27)
14 (AA) The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. 15 The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed 5,000 coins to the first servant, 2,000 to the second, and 1,000 to the third. Then he left the country.
16 As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the 5,000 coins used them to earn 5,000 more. 17 The servant who had 2,000 coins did the same with his money and earned 2,000 more. 18 But the servant with 1,000 coins dug a hole and hid his master's money in the ground.
19 Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. 20 The servant who had been given 5,000 coins brought them in with the 5,000 that he had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me 5,000 coins, and I have earned 5,000 more.”
21 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
22 Next, the servant who had been given 2,000 coins came in and said, “Sir, you gave me 2,000 coins, and I have earned 2,000 more.”
23 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
24 The servant who had been given 1,000 coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to work for. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed. 25 I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”
26 The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know I harvest what I don't plant and gather crops where I haven't scattered seed. 27 You could have at least put my money in the bank, so I could have earned interest on it.”
28 Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with 10,000 coins! 29 (AB) Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don't have anything. 30 (AC) You are a worthless servant, and you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
The Final Judgment
31 (AD) When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. 32 The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. 35 (AE) When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
41 Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God's curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”
44 Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”
45 The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”
46 (AF) Then Jesus said, “Those people will be punished forever. But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life.”
The Plot To Kill Jesus
(Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)
26 When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, 2 (AG) “You know two days from now will be Passover. This is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.”
3 At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. 4 They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. 5 But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.”
At Bethany
(Mark 14.3-9; John 12.1-8)
6 Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy.[m] 7 (AH) A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head. 8 But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, “Why such a waste? 9 We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.”
10 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11 (AI) You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me. 12 She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.[n] 13 You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.
Judas and the Chief Priests
(Mark 14.10,11; Luke 22.3-6)
14 Judas Iscariot[o] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests 15 (AJ) and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas 30 silver coins, 16 and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples
(Mark 14.12-21; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”
18 Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, “Our teacher says, ‘My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.’ ” 19 They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.
20-21 When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies.”
22 The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!”
23 (AK) He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born.”
25 Judas said, “Teacher, you surely don't mean me!”
“That's what you say!” Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.
The Lord's Supper
(Mark 14.22-26; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)
26 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”
27 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. 28 (AL) This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. 29 From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.” 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter's Promise
(Mark 14.27-31; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)
31 (AM) Jesus said to his disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,
‘I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.’
32 (AN) But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”
34 Jesus replied, “I promise you before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.” 35 But Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you.”
All the others said the same thing.
Jesus Prays
(Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)
36 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John.[p] He was very sad and troubled, 38 and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup.[q] But do what you want, and not what I want.”
40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
42 Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
43 Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. 44 He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
45 Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[r] The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)
47 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. 48 Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”[s]
49 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, “My friend, do what you came for.”[t]
The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. 53 Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54 But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say this must happen?”
55 (AO) Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. 56 But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”
All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Is Questioned by the Council
(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)
57 After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. 58 But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.[u] 60 But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward 61 (AP) and said, “This man claimed he could tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”
62 The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” 63 But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”[v]
64 (AQ) “That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,
‘Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side[w]
of God All-Powerful
and coming on the clouds
of heaven.’ ”
65 (AR) The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. 66 What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” 67 (AS) Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”
Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus
(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)
69 While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”
70 But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”
71 When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”
73 A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”
74 Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”
Right then a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.
Jesus Is Taken to Pilate
(Mark 15.1; Luke 23.1,2; John 18.28-32)
27 Early the next morning all the chief priests and the nation's leaders met and decided that Jesus should be put to death. 2 They tied him up and led him away to Pilate the governor.
The Death of Judas
(Acts 1.18,19)
3 (AT) Judas had betrayed Jesus, but when he learned that Jesus had been sentenced to death, he was sorry for what he had done. He returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and leaders 4 and said, “I have sinned by betraying a man who has never done anything wrong.”
“So what? That's your problem,” they replied. 5 Judas threw the money into the temple and then went out and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the money and said, “This money was paid to have a man killed. We can't put it in the temple treasury.” 7 Then they had a meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to someone who made clay pots. They wanted to use it as a graveyard for foreigners. 8 This is why people still call that place “Field of Blood.” 9 (AU) So the words of the prophet Jeremiah came true,
“They took
the thirty silver coins,
the price of a person
among the people of Israel.
10 They paid it
for a potter's field,[x]
as the Lord
had commanded me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Mark 15.2-5; Luke 23.3-5; John 18.33-38)
11 Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Those are your words!” Jesus answered. 12 And when the chief priests and leaders brought their charges against him, he did not say a thing.
13 Pilate asked him, “Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” 14 But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.
The Death Sentence
(Mark 15.6-15; Luke 23.13-26; John 18.39—19.16)
15 During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. 16 At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas[y] was in jail. 17 So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, “Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 Pilate knew the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.
19 While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I have had nightmares because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the leaders convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed. 21 Pilate asked the crowd again, “Which of these two men do you want me to set free?”
“Barabbas!” they shouted.
22 Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”
They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
23 Pilate answered, “But what crime has he done?”
“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.
24 (AV) Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands[z] in front of them and said, “I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!”
25 Everyone answered, “We and our own families will take the blame for his death!”
26 Pilate set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.
Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
(Mark 15.16-21; John 19.2,3)
27 The governor's soldiers led Jesus into the fortress[aa] and brought together the rest of the troops. 28 They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe[ab] on him. 29 They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
(Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)
31 When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 32 On the way they met a man named Simon who was from Cyrene, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.
33 They came to a place named Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.”[ac] 34 (AW) There they gave Jesus some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain. But when Jesus tasted what it was, he refused to drink it.
35 (AX) The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 36 Then they sat down to guard him. 37 Above his head they put a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.
39 (AY) People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and 40 (AZ) shouted, “So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days! If you are God's Son, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The chief priests, the leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said, 42 “He saved others, but he can't save himself. If he is the king of Israel, he should come down from the cross! Then we will believe him. 43 (BA) He trusted God, so let God save him, if he wants to. He even said he was God's Son.” 44 The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.
The Death of Jesus
(Mark 15.33-41; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)
45 At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock. 46 (BB) Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”[ad] which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
47 Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He's calling for Elijah.”[ae] 48 (BC) One of them at once ran and grabbed a sponge. He soaked it in wine, then put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus.
49 Others said, “Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come[af] and save him.” 50 Once again Jesus shouted, and then he died.
51 (BD) At once the curtain in the temple[ag] was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and rocks split apart. 52 Graves opened, and many of God's people were raised to life. 53 They left their graves, and after Jesus had risen to life, they went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people.
54 The officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened. They were frightened and said, “This man really was God's Son!”
55 (BE) Many women had come with Jesus from Galilee to be of help to him, and they were there, looking on at a distance. 56 Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John[ah] were some of these women.
Jesus Is Buried
(Mark 15.42-47; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)
57 That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea 58 went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, 59 who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock[ai] and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.
61 All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb.
62 On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. 63 (BF) They said, “Sir, we remember what this liar said while he was still alive. He claimed in three days he would come back from death. 64 So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.”[aj]
65 Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” 66 So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.
Footnotes
- 23.5 wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms … tassels: As a sign of their love for God and his teachings, the Jewish people often wore Scripture verses in small leather boxes. But the Pharisees tried to show off by making the boxes bigger than necessary. The Jewish people were also taught to wear tassels on the four corners of their robes to show their love for God.
- 23.13,14 from going in: Some manuscripts add, “You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! And you're nothing but show-offs! You cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. So you will be punished most of all.”
- 23.27 whitewashed: Tombs were whitewashed to keep anyone from accidentally touching them. A person who touched a dead body or a tomb was considered unclean and could not worship with the rest of the Jewish people.
- 23.35 Zechariah: Genesis is the first book in the Jewish Scriptures, and it tells that Abel was the first person to be murdered. Second Chronicles is the last book in the Jewish Scriptures, and the last murder that it tells about is that of Zechariah.
- 24.17 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof, which was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
- 24.20 in winter or on a Sabbath: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult. The Jewish people were not allowed to travel much more than a kilometer on the Sabbath. For these reasons it was hard for them to escape from their enemies in the winter or on a Sabbath.
- 24.28 Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures: This saying may mean that when anything important happens, people soon know about it. Or the saying may mean that whenever something bad happens, curious people gather around and stare. But the word translated “vulture” also means “eagle” and may refer to the Roman army, which had an eagle as its symbol.
- 24.29 the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
- 24.30 And there will be the Son of Man: Or “And it will be the Son of Man.”
- 24.33 the time has almost come: Or “he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here.”
- 24.36 and the Son himself doesn't know: These words are not in some manuscripts.
- 25.1 to meet the groom: Some manuscripts add “and the bride.” It was the custom for the groom to go to the home of the bride's parents to get his bride. Young women and other guests would then go with them to the home of the groom's parents, where the wedding feast would take place.
- 26.6 leprosy: See the note at 8.2.
- 26.12 poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor.
- 26.14 Iscariot: See the note at 10.4.
- 26.37 the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has “the two sons of Zebedee” (see 27.56).
- 26.39 by drinking from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer (see the note at 20.22).
- 26.45 Are you still sleeping and resting: Or “You may as well keep on sleeping and resting.”
- 26.48 the man I greet with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
- 26.50 do what you came for: Or “why are you here?”
- 26.59 some people who would tell lies about him in court: The Law of Moses taught that two witnesses were necessary before a person could be put to death (see verse 60).
- 26.63 Son of God: One of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
- 26.64 right side: See the note at 22.44.
- 27.10 a potter's field: Perhaps a field owned by someone who made clay pots. But it may have been a field where potters came to get clay or to make pots or to throw away their broken pieces of pottery.
- 27.16 Jesus Barabbas: Here and in verse 17 many manuscripts have “Barabbas.”
- 27.24 washed his hands: To show that he was innocent.
- 27.27 fortress: The place where the Roman governor stayed. It was probably at Herod's palace west of Jerusalem, though it may have been Fortress Antonia north of the temple, where the Roman troops were stationed.
- 27.28 scarlet robe: This was probably a Roman soldier's robe.
- 27.33 Place of a Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
- 27.46 Eli … sabachthani: These words are in Hebrew.
- 27.47 Elijah: In Aramaic the name “Elijah” sounds like “Eli,” which means “my God.”
- 27.49 Elijah will come: See the note at 16.14.
- 27.51 curtain in the temple: There were two curtains in the temple. One was at the entrance, and the other separated the holy place from the most holy place that the Jewish people thought of as God's home on earth. The second curtain is probably the one that is meant.
- 27.56 of James and John: The Greek text has “of Zebedee's sons” (see 26.37).
- 27.60 tomb … solid rock: Some of the Jewish people buried their dead in rooms carved into solid rock. A heavy stone was rolled against the entrance.
- 27.64 the first one: Probably the belief that Jesus is the Messiah.
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