Matthew 27:17-50

Common English Bible

¹⁷ When the crowd had come together, Pilate asked them, “Whom would you like me to release to you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ He knew that the leaders of the people had handed him over because of jealousy.

¹⁹ While he was serving as judge, his wife sent this message to him, “Leave that righteous man alone. I’ve suffered much today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and kill Jesus. ²¹ The governor said, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

“Barabbas,” they replied.

²² Pilate said, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said, “Crucify him!”

²³ But he said, “Why? What wrong has he done?”

They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was starting. So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I’m innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It’s your problem.”

²⁵ All the people replied, “Let his blood be on us and on our children.” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.

Soldiers mocking Jesus

²⁷ The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s house, and they gathered the whole company^[a] of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a red military coat on him. ²⁹ They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed down in front of him and mocked him, saying, “Hey! King of the Jews!” ³⁰ After they spit on him, they took the stick and struck his head again and again. ³¹ When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the military coat and put his own clothes back on him. They led him away to crucify him.

Crucifixion

³² As they were going out, they found Simon, a man from Cyrene. They forced him to carry his cross. ³³ When they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place, ³⁴ they gave Jesus wine mixed with vinegar to drink. But after tasting it, he didn’t want to drink it. ³⁵ After they crucified him, they divided up his clothes among them by drawing lots. ³⁶ They sat there, guarding him. ³⁷ They placed above his head the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” ³⁸ They crucified with him two outlaws, one on his right side and one on his left.

³⁹ Those who were walking by insulted Jesus, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you? Save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹ In the same way, the chief priests, along with the legal experts and the elders, were making fun of him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. He’s the king of Israel, so let him come down from the cross now. Then we’ll believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God, so let God deliver him now if he wants to. He said, ‘I’m God’s Son.’” ⁴⁴ The outlaws who were crucified with him insulted him in the same way.

Death

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. ⁴⁶ At about three Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”^[b]

⁴⁷ After hearing him, some standing there said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ One of them ran over, took a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink.

⁴⁹ But the rest of them said, “Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.”

⁵⁰ Again Jesus cried out with a loud shout. Then he died.