The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ When it was evening,^(A) a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple^(B) of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it^[a] be released. ⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.^{(C) 61} Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.

The Closely Guarded Tomb

⁶² The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate^{(D) 63} and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’^{(E) 64} So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples^(F) may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take^[b] guards,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.^(G)

Resurrection Morning

16 When^(A) the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,^(B) Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. ² Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week,^(C) they went to the tomb^(D) at sunrise. ³ They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” ⁴ Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

⁵ When^(E) they entered the tomb,^(F) they saw a young man^(G) dressed^(H) in a white^(I) robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. ⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,^(J) who was crucified. He has risen!^(K) He is not here. See the place where they put him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter,^(L) ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee;^(M) you will see him there just as he told you.’”

The Empty Tomb

20 On^(A) the first day of the week^(B) Mary Magdalene^(C) came to the tomb^(D) early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone^(E) had been removed from the tomb. ² So she went running to Simon Peter^(F) and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb,^(G) and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

³ At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. ⁵ Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths^(H) lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. ⁷ The wrapping^(I) that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths^(J) but was folded up in a separate place by itself. ⁸ The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. ⁹ For they did not yet understand the Scripture^(K) that he must rise^(L) from the dead.^{(M) 10} Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

¹¹ But^(N) Mary stood outside the tomb,^(O) crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² She saw two angels^(P) in white sitting where Jesus’s body^(Q) had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,”^(R) she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus.^{(S) 15} “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”

Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic,^[a] “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”^(T)

¹⁷ “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended^(U) to the Father.^(V) But go to my brothers^(W) and tell them that I am ascending to my Father^(X) and your Father, to my God^(Y) and your God.”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” ^(Z) And she told them what^[b] he had said to her.

The Soldiers Bribed to Lie

¹¹ As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the priests^[a] had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money ¹³ and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with^[b] him and keep you out of trouble.”^{(A) 15} They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.^(B)