Matthew 27
Christian Standard Bible
Jesus Handed Over to Pilate
27 When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.(A) 2 After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate,[a] the governor.(B)
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.(C) 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple(D) and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted(E) to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took[b] the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave[c] them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.[d](F)
Jesus Faces the Governor
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor.(G) “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus answered, “You say so.”(H) 12 While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.(I)
13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?” 14 But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.(J)
Jesus or Barabbas
15 At the festival(K) the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.[e] 17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (L) 18 For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”(M)
20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they answered.
22 Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all answered, “Crucify him!” (N)
23 Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!” (O)
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.[f] See to it yourselves!” (P)
25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us(Q) and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.(R)
Mocked by the Military
27 Then(S) the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole company[g] around him.(T) 28 They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe.(U) 29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head. 31 After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.(V)
Crucified Between Two Criminals
32 As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced him to carry his cross.(W) 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha(X) (which means Place of the Skull), 34 they gave him wine[h] mixed with gall to drink. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots.[i](Y) 36 Then they sat down and were guarding him there. 37 Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: This Is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
38 Then two criminals[j] were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.(Z) 39 Those who passed by were yelling insults at[k] him, shaking their heads(AA) 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” (AB) 41 In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders,[l] mocked him and said, 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel!(AC) Let him[m] come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God rescue him now—if he takes pleasure in him![n] For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him taunted him.(AD)
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon,[o] darkness came over the whole land.[p](AE) 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá[q] sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[r](AF)
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.(AG) 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.(AH) 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary(AI) was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened(AJ) and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (AK)
55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance.(AL) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.(AM)
The Burial of Jesus
57 When it was evening,(AN) a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple(AO) of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it[s] 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.(AP) 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(AQ) 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’(AR) 64 So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples(AS) 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[t] 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.(AT)
Footnotes
- 27:2 Other mss read Pontius Pilate
- 27:9 Or I took
- 27:10 Some mss read I gave
- 27:9–10 Jr 32:6–9; Zch 11:12–13
- 27:16 Other mss read Jesus Barabbas, also in v. 17
- 27:24 Other mss read this righteous man’s blood
- 27:27 Lit cohort
- 27:34 Other mss read sour wine
- 27:35 Other mss add that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: “They divided my clothes among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
- 27:38 Or revolutionaries
- 27:39 Lit passed by blasphemed, or were blaspheming
- 27:41 Other mss add and Pharisees
- 27:42 Other mss read If he ... Israel, let him
- 27:43 Or if he wants him
- 27:45 Lit From the sixth hour to the ninth hour
- 27:45 Or whole earth
- 27:46 Some mss read lama; other mss read lima
- 27:46 Ps 22:1
- 27:58 Other mss read that the body
- 27:65 Or “You have
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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