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11 And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor did question him, saying, `Art thou the king of the Jews!' And Jesus said to him, `Thou sayest.'

12 And in his being accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not answer any thing,

13 then saith Pilate to him, `Dost thou not hear how many things they witness against thee?'

14 And he did not answer him, not even to one word, so that the governor did wonder greatly.

15 And at the feast the governor had been accustomed to release one to the multitude, a prisoner, whom they willed,

16 and they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas,

17 they therefore having been gathered together, Pilate said to them, `Whom will ye I shall release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?'

18 for he had known that because of envy they had delivered him up.

19 And as he is sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent unto him, saying, `Nothing -- to thee and to that righteous one, for many things did I suffer to-day in a dream because of him.'

20 And the chief priests and the elders did persuade the multitudes that they might ask for themselves Barabbas, and might destroy Jesus;

21 and the governor answering said to them, `Which of the two will ye [that] I shall release to you?' And they said, `Barabbas.'

22 Pilate saith to them, `What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all say to him, `Let be crucified!'

23 And the governor said, `Why, what evil did he?' and they were crying out the more, saying, `Let be crucified.'

24 And Pilate having seen that it profiteth nothing, but rather a tumult is made, having taken water, he did wash the hands before the multitude, saying, `I am innocent from the blood of this righteous one; ye -- ye shall see;'

25 and all the people answering said, `His blood [is] upon us, and upon our children!'

26 Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered [him] up that he may be crucified;

27 then the soldiers of the governor having taken Jesus to the Praetorium, did gather to him all the band;

28 and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak,

29 and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put [it] on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, `Hail, the king of the Jews.'

30 And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head;

31 and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify [him].

32 And coming forth, they found a man, a Cyrenian, by name Simon: him they impressed that he might bear his cross;

33 and having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull,

34 they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall, and having tasted, he would not drink.

35 And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, `They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;'

36 and sitting down, they were watching him there,

37 and they put up over his head, his accusation written, `This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.'

38 Then crucified with him are two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left,

39 and those passing by were speaking evil of him, wagging their heads,

40 and saying, `Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building [it], save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.'

41 And in like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 `Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him;

43 he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said -- Son of God I am;'

44 with the same also the robbers, who were crucified with him, were reproaching him.

45 And from the sixth hour darkness came over all the land unto the ninth hour,

46 and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, `My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?'

47 And certain of those standing there having heard, said -- `Elijah he doth call;'

48 and immediately, one of them having run, and having taken a spunge, having filled [it] with vinegar, and having put [it] on a reed, was giving him to drink,

49 but the rest said, `Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come -- about to save him.'

50 And Jesus having again cried with a great voice, yielded the spirit;

51 and lo, the vail of the sanctuary was rent in two from top unto bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent,

52 and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose,

53 and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

54 And the centurion, and those with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were exceedingly afraid, saying, `Truly this was God's Son.'

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Jesus Before Pilate(A)

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”(B)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.(C) 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”(D) 14 But Jesus made no reply,(E) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner(F) chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus[a] Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”(G) 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,(H) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent(I) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream(J) because of him.”

20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.(K)

21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”(L) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar(M) was starting, he took water and washed his hands(N) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”(O) he said. “It is your responsibility!”(P)

25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”(Q)

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,(R) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus(S)

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium(T) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,(U) 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.(V) 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.(W) 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(X)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(Y)

32 As they were going out,(Z) they met a man from Cyrene,(AA) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.(AB) 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).(AC) 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;(AD) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.(AE) 36 And sitting down, they kept watch(AF) over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him,(AG) one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads(AH) 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,(AI) save yourself!(AJ) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”(AK) 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!(AL) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe(AM) in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him(AN) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus(AO)

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness(AP) came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[b] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[c](AQ)

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,(AR) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.(AS)

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple(AT) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split(AU) 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[d] went into the holy city(AV) and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding(AW) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”(AX)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:16 Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17.
  2. Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
  3. Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
  4. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they