Matthew 26:36-27:56
English Standard Version
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 (A)Then Jesus went with them (B)to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him (C)Peter and (D)the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, (E)“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and (F)watch[a] with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face (G)and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let (H)this cup pass from me; (I)nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 (J)Watch and (K)pray that you (L)may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, (M)your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for (N)their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for (O)the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.[b] See, (P)the hour is at hand, and (Q)the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 (R)While he was still speaking, (S)Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, (T)Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, (U)“Friend, (V)do what you came to do.”[c] Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his (W)sword and struck the servant[d] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For (X)all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 (Y)Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me (Z)more than twelve (AA)legions of angels? 54 (AB)But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day (AC)I sat in the temple (AD)teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But (AE)all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” (AF)Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council
57 (AG)Then (AH)those who had seized Jesus led him to (AI)Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 And (AJ)Peter was following him at a distance, as far as (AK)the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with (AL)the guards to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council[e] (AM)were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, (AN)though many false witnesses came forward. At last (AO)two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, (AP)‘I am able to (AQ)destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”[f] 63 (AR)But Jesus remained silent. (AS)And the high priest said to him, (AT)“I adjure you by (AU)the living God, (AV)tell us if you are (AW)the Christ, (AX)the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, (AY)“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on (AZ)you will see the Son of Man (BA)seated at the right hand of Power and (BB)coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest (BC)tore his robes and said, (BD)“He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, (BE)“He deserves death.” 67 Then (BF)they spit in his face (BG)and (BH)struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you (BI)Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69 (BJ)Now Peter was sitting outside (BK)in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus (BL)of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for (BM)your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, (BN)“Before the rooster crows, you will (BO)deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
27 (BP)When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people (BQ)took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and (BR)led him away and (BS)delivered him over to (BT)Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then when (BU)Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[g] was condemned, (BV)he changed his mind and brought back (BW)the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? (BX)See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, (BY)he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into (BZ)the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore (CA)that field has been called the Field of Blood (CB)to this day. 9 (CC)Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, (CD)“And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”
Jesus Before Pilate
11 (CE)Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you (CF)the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, (CG)“You have said so.” 12 (CH)But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, (CI)“Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15 (CJ)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or (CK)Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out (CL)of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on (CM)the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with (CN)that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today (CO)in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to (CP)ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (CQ)They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? (CR)What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that (CS)a riot was beginning, he took water and (CT)washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of (CU)this man's blood;[h] (CV)see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, (CW)“His blood be on us and (CX)on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having (CY)scourged[i] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
27 (CZ)Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the (DA)governor's headquarters,[j] and they gathered the whole (DB)battalion[k] before him. 28 And they stripped him and put (DC)a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they (DD)mocked him, saying, “Hail, (DE)King of the Jews!” 30 And (DF)they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and (DG)led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
32 (DH)(DI)As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to (DJ)carry his cross. 33 (DK)And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 (DL)they offered him wine to drink, mixed with (DM)gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, (DN)they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and (DO)kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, (DP)the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two (DQ)robbers were crucified with him, (DR)one on the right and one on the left. 39 And (DS)those who passed by (DT)derided him, (DU)wagging their heads 40 and saying, (DV)“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! (DW)If you are (DX)the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 (DY)“He saved others; (DZ)he cannot save himself. (EA)He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 (EB)He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 (EC)And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour[l] there was darkness over all the land[m] until the ninth hour.[n] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus (ED)cried out with a loud voice, saying, (EE)“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with (EF)sour wine, and put it on a reed and (EG)gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus (EH)cried out again with a loud voice and (EI)yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, (EJ)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And (EK)the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of (EL)the saints (EM)who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into (EN)the holy city and appeared to many. 54 (EO)When the centurion and those who were with him, (EP)keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, (EQ)“Truly this was the Son[o] of God!”
55 There were also (ER)many women there, looking on (ES)from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, (ET)ministering to him, 56 among whom were (EU)Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and (EV)the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:38 Or keep awake; also verses 40, 41
- Matthew 26:45 Or Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
- Matthew 26:50 Or Friend, why are you here?
- Matthew 26:51 Or bondservant
- Matthew 26:59 Greek Sanhedrin
- Matthew 26:62 Or Have you no answer to what these men testify against you?
- Matthew 27:3 Greek he
- Matthew 27:24 Some manuscripts this righteous blood, or this righteous man's blood
- Matthew 27:26 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal
- Matthew 27:27 Greek the praetorium
- Matthew 27:27 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men
- Matthew 27:45 That is, noon
- Matthew 27:45 Or earth
- Matthew 27:45 That is, 3 p.m.
- Matthew 27:54 Or a son
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.