Matthew 27
Worldwide English (New Testament)
27 When it was morning, all the chief priests and the leaders of the people made a plan against Jesus. They wanted to kill him.
2 They tied him and took him away. They took him to Pilate, the ruler.
3 Judas was the man who helped them take Jesus. He saw that they had judged Jesus and were going to kill him. He was sorry for what he had done, so he brought the thirty pieces of silver money back to the chief priests and leaders.
4 He said, `I have done wrong. I have helped you take a good man who should not be killed.' They said, `What do we care? You look after that!'
5 Judas threw the silver money into the temple. He went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the money. They said, `It is not right to put this money in the money box of the temple. It has been used to buy a man's death.'
7 They talked the matter over and bought a field that belonged to a man who made pots. They bought it for a place in which to bury strangers.
8 That is why that field has been called `The field of blood' until now.
9 What Jeremiah the prophet said long ago, then came true at that time. He said, `They took thirty pieces of silver money. That is what the people of Israel said he was worth.
10 They paid for the potter's field. That is what the Lord told me to do.'
11 Jesus stood before the ruler. The ruler asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus said, `Yes, I am.'
12 When the chief priests and leaders brought their complaints, Jesus said nothing.
13 Then Pilate said to him, `Do you not hear what these people say against you?'
14 But Jesus did not answer him, not even one word. Pilate was very much surprised about this.
15 At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.
16 In the prison at that time was a very bad man named Barabbas.
17 So while the people were there Pilate asked them, `Which one do you want me to let free for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?'
18 Pilate knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they had brought Jesus to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting in the court to judge the case, his wife sent a message to him. She said, `Do nothing to that good man. I have been troubled very much in a dream about him today.'
20 The chief priests and leaders talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free, but to kill Jesus.
21 The ruler said to the people, `Which of these two do you want me to let go free for you?' They said, `Barabbas.'
22 Pilate said to them, `Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?' They all said, `Nail him to a cross!'
23 The ruler said, `What wrong thing has he done?' But they shouted even more, `Nail him to a cross!'
24 Pilate saw that he was not doing any good. And the people were making a lot of loud noise. So he washed his hands in water in front of the people. Then he said, `I will not say this man must be killed. You must do that.'
25 Then all the people answered, `We and our children will do that.'
26 Then Pilate let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.
27 Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.
28 They took off his clothes, and they put a red gown on him.
29 They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'
30 They spat on him. And they took the stick and hit him on the head with it.
31 After they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown. They put his own clothes on him. Then they took him away to nail him to a cross.
32 As they were going, they met a man named Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him carry Jesus' cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha. That means, `The place of a head bone.'
34 They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. Jesus tasted it but he would not drink it.
35 Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.
36 Then the soldiers sat down on the ground and watched him there.
37 They put the complaint against Jesus above his head. These words were written there: `This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'
38 Two bad men were also nailed to crosses. They had stolen money. One man was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of him.
39 The people who passed by said bad things about him. They shook their heads.
40 They said, `You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you are really God's Son, come down from the cross.'
41 The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders also made fun of him.
42 They said, `He saved other people but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.
43 He trusted in God. If God wants him, he can save him now. He said, "I am God's Son." '
44 The bad men who were also nailed to crosses with him said the same things to him.
45 About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.
46 About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'
47 Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said `This man is calling for Elijah.'
48 Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.
49 The other people said, `Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.'
50 Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.
51 At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.
52 The graves opened. Many of God's people who had died rose from death.
53 They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.
54 The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, `Surely this man was God's Son.'
55 Many women were there watching from far away. They had come with Jesus from Galilee and had helped him.
56 Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
57 In the evening, a rich man came. He was Joseph from the town of Arimathea. He also believed in Jesus.
58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate said that it should be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped a clean linen cloth around it.
60 He put the body in his own new grave which had been cut in a rock. He rolled a very big stone to close the grave. Then he went away.
61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. They sat where they could see the grave.
62 The next day was the Sabbath day. The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate together.
63 They said, `Sir, that man fooled people. We remember what he said when he was still living. He said that he would rise after three days.
64 So give orders that the grave must be guarded for three days. Then his disciples cannot come in the night to carry away his body, and tell people he rose from death. This last trick would be worse than the first.'
65 Pilate said to them, `Take soldiers. Go and guard the grave as well as you can.'
66 So they went and shut the grave tight. They put a government mark on the big stone. And the soldiers stayed to guard it. This was to make sure the grave would stay shut.
Matthew 27
International Standard Version
Jesus is Taken to Pilate(A)
27 When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death. 2 They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius[a] Pilate, the governor.
The Death of Judas(B)
3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus[b] was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent[c] blood.”
But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.” 5 Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.
6 The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial ground for foreigners. 8 That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,
“They[d] took the 30 pieces of silver,
the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,
10 and they[e] gave them for the potter’s field,
as the Lord commanded me.”[f]
Pilate Questions Jesus(C)
11 Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “You say so.”
12 While Jesus[g] was being accused by the high priests and elders, he made no reply. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus[h] did not reply at all, so that the governor was very surprised.
Jesus is Sentenced to Death(D)
15 At every festival[i] the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.[j] 17 So when the people[k] had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,[l] or Jesus who is called ‘the Messiah’?”[m] 18 He did this[n] because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message[o] that said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him.”
20 But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death. 21 So the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they replied.
22 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”[p]
They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
23 He asked, “What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”
24 Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s[q] blood. Attend to that yourselves.”
25 All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus(E)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquarters[r] and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped[s] him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 Twisting some thorns into a victor’s crown, they placed it on his head and put[t] a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head. 31 When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Jesus is Crucified(F)
32 As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus’[u] cross. 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Skull Place”), 34 they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had crucified him, they determined who would get his clothes by throwing dice for them.[v] 36 Then they sat down there and continued guarding him. 37 Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”
38 At that time two bandits[w] were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. 39 Those who passed by kept insulting[x] him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41 In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying, 42 “He saved others but can’t save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him[y] come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God[z] rescue him, if he wants to do so now. After all, he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
44 In a similar way, the bandits[aa] who were being crucified with him kept insulting him.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(G)
45 From noon[ab] on, darkness came over the whole land[ac] until three in the afternoon.[ad] 46 About three o’clock,[ae] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, eli,[af] lema sabachthani?”,[ag] which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[ah]
47 When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”[ai] 48 So one of the men ran off at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus[aj] a drink.
49 But the others kept saying, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.”[ak]
50 Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.[al] 51 Suddenly, the curtain[am] in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open, 52 tombs were opened, and many[an] saints who had died[ao] were brought back to life. 53 After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs, went into the Holy City,[ap] and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion[aq] and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, “This man certainly was the Son of God!”
55 Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to[ar] him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene,[as] Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus is Buried(H)
57 Later that evening, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be done. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he left, 61 but Mary Magdalene[at] and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb.
The Tomb is Secured
62 The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘I will be raised after three days.’ 64 Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have[au] a military guard. Go and make the tomb[av] as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.
Footnotes
- Matthew 27:2 Other mss. lack Pontius
- Matthew 27:3 Lit. he
- Matthew 27:4 Other mss. read righteous
- Matthew 27:9 Or I
- Matthew 27:10 Other mss. read I
- Matthew 27:10 Cf. Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9
- Matthew 27:12 Lit. he
- Matthew 27:14 Lit. he
- Matthew 27:15 I.e. Passover Festival
- Matthew 27:16 Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas
- Matthew 27:17 Lit. they
- Matthew 27:17 Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas
- Matthew 27:17 Or Christ
- Matthew 27:18 The Gk. lacks He did this
- Matthew 27:19 The Gk. lacks a message
- Matthew 27:22 Or Christ
- Matthew 27:24 Other mss. read this righteous man’s
- Matthew 27:27 Lit. praetorium
- Matthew 27:28 Other mss. read clothed
- Matthew 27:29 The Gk. lacks put
- Matthew 27:32 Lit. his
- Matthew 27:35 The Gk. lacks for them
- Matthew 27:38 Or revolutionaries
- Matthew 27:39 Or blaspheming
- Matthew 27:42 Other mss. read If he is the king of Israel, let him
- Matthew 27:43 Lit. him
- Matthew 27:44 Or revolutionaries
- Matthew 27:45 Lit. the sixth hour
- Matthew 27:45 Or earth
- Matthew 27:45 Lit. the ninth hour
- Matthew 27:46 Lit. the ninth hour
- Matthew 27:46 Eli, eli are Gk. transliterations for the Heb. My God, my God in Ps 22:1
- Matthew 27:46 lema sabachthani is a Gk. transliteration for the Aram. rendering of the Heb. in Ps 22:1, which means Why have you forsaken me?
- Matthew 27:46 Cf. Ps 22:1
- Matthew 27:47 Elijah in Heb. sounds like Eli
- Matthew 27:48 Lit. him
- Matthew 27:49 Other mss. read save him.” And another took a spear and pierced his side, and water and blood came out.
- Matthew 27:50 Or and gave up his spirit
- Matthew 27:51 This curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
- Matthew 27:52 Lit. and the corpses of many
- Matthew 27:52 Lit. fallen asleep
- Matthew 27:53 I.e. Jerusalem
- Matthew 27:54 A Roman centurion commanded about 100 men.
- Matthew 27:55 Or provided for
- Matthew 27:56 Or Mary of Magdala
- Matthew 27:61 Or Mary of Magdala
- Matthew 27:65 Or Take
- Matthew 27:65 Lit. it
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