Matthew 27
21st Century King James Version
27 When the morning had come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death.
2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned, repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? See thou to that!”
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.”
7 And they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
8 Therefore that field was called the Field of Blood unto this day.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they the children of Israel did value,
10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.”
11 And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said unto him, “Thou sayest.”
12 And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto Him, “Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?”
14 And He answered him never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
15 Now at that feast, the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16 And they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, “Whom will ye that I release unto you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him.
19 When he had sat down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, “Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?” They said, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate said unto them, “What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said unto him, “Let him be crucified!”
23 And the governor said, “Why, what evil hath he done?” But they cried out the more, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail, but rather that a tumult was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See ye to it.”
25 Then answered all the people and said, “His blood be on us, and on our children!”
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole detachment of soldiers.
28 And they stripped Him and put on Him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head and a reed in His right hand, and they bowed their knees before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
30 And they spat upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head.
31 And after they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear His cross.
33 And when they had come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a Place of a Skull,
34 they gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall. And when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink.
35 And they crucified Him and parted His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots.”
36 And sitting down, they watched Him there,
37 and set up over His head His accusation, written: This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand and another on the left.
39 And those who passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, “Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself! If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders said,
42 “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if He will have him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
44 The thieves also, who were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is to say, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This man calleth for Elijah.”
48 And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed and gave Him to drink.
49 The rest said, “Let be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
50 Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth quaked and the rocks rent.
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who slept arose,
53 and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him,
56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
57 When the evening had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, who himself also was Jesus’ disciple.
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth
60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed.
61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulcher.
62 Now the next day, that following the Day of the Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 saying, “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
64 Command therefore that the sepulcher be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, ‘He is risen from the dead,’ so that the last error shall be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said unto them, “Ye have a watch. Go your way, make it as secure as ye can.”
66 So they went and made the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone and setting up a watch.
Matthew 27
New Living Translation
Judas Hangs Himself
27 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”[a] 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took[b] the thirty pieces of silver—
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
10 and purchased the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed.[c]”
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.[d] 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”[e]
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters[f] and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,[g] and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[h] 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries[i] were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[j] lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[k]
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”[l]
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54 The Roman officer[m] and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, on the Sabbath,[n] the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
Footnotes
- 27:6 Greek since it is the price for blood.
- 27:9 Or I took.
- 27:9-10 Greek as the Lord directed me. Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9.
- 27:16 Some manuscripts read Jesus Barabbas; also in 27:17.
- 27:25 Greek “His blood be on us and on our children.”
- 27:27 Or into the Praetorium.
- 27:32 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa.
- 27:35 Greek by casting lots. A few late manuscripts add This fulfilled the word of the prophet: “They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my robe.” See Ps 22:18.
- 27:38 Or criminals; also in 27:44.
- 27:46a Some manuscripts read Eloi, Eloi.
- 27:46b Ps 22:1.
- 27:49 Some manuscripts add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and out flowed water and blood. Compare John 19:34.
- 27:54 Greek The centurion.
- 27:62 Or On the next day, which is after the Preparation.
Matthew 27
Darby Translation
27 And when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so that they might put him to death.
2 And having bound him they led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, who delivered him up, seeing that he had been condemned, filled with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4 saying, I have sinned [in] having delivered up guiltless blood. But they said, What is that to us? see *thou* [to that].
5 And having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself.
6 And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, It is not lawful to cast them into the Corban, since it is [the] price of blood.
7 And having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter for a burying-ground for strangers.
8 Wherefore that field has been called Blood-field unto this day.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, saying, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was set a price on, whom [they who were] of the sons of Israel had set a price on,
10 and they gave them for the field of the potter, according as [the] Lord commanded me.
11 But Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, saying, Art *thou* the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then says Pilate to him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him not so much as one word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly.
15 Now at [the] feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whom they would.
16 And they had then a notable prisoner, named Barabbas.
17 They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom will ye that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?
18 For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy.
19 But, as he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous [man]; for I have suffered to-day many things in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should beg for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see *ye* [to it].
25 And all the people answering said, His blood [be] on us and on our children.
26 Then he released to them Barabbas; but Jesus, having scourged [him], he delivered up that he might be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus with [them] to the praetorium, gathered against him the whole band,
28 and having taken off his garment, put on him a scarlet cloak;
29 and having woven a crown out of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And having spit upon him, they took the reed and beat [him] on his head.
31 And when they had mocked him, they took the cloak off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify.
32 And as they went forth they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go [with them] that he might bear his cross.
33 And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a skull,
34 they gave to him to drink vinegar mingled with gall; and having tasted [it], he would not drink.
35 And having crucified him, they parted his clothes amongst [themselves], casting lots.
36 And sitting down, they kept guard over him there.
37 And they set up over his head his accusation written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
38 Then are crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.
39 But the passers-by reviled him, shaking their heads
40 and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou art Son of God, descend from the cross.
41 [And] in like manner the chief priests also, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others, himself he cannot save. He is King of Israel: let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him.
43 He trusted upon God; let him save him now if he will [have] him. For he said, I am Son of God.
44 And the robbers also who had been crucified with him cast the same reproaches on him.
45 Now from [the] sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until [the] ninth hour;
46 but about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 And some of those who stood there, when they heard [it], said, This [man] calls for Elias.
48 And immediately one of them running and getting a sponge, having filled [it] with vinegar and fixed [it] on a reed, gave him to drink.
49 But the rest said, Let be; let us see if Elias comes to save him.
50 And Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.
51 And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent,
52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints fallen asleep arose,
53 and going out of the tombs after his arising, entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.
54 But the centurion, and they who were with him on guard over Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that took place, feared greatly, saying, Truly this [man] was Son of God.
55 And there were there many women beholding from afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him,
56 among whom was Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57 Now when even was come there came a rich man of Arimathaea, his name Joseph, who also himself was a disciple to Jesus.
58 *He*, going to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up.
59 And Joseph having got the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, went away.
61 But Mary of Magdala was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulchre.
62 Now on the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate,
63 saying, Sir, we have called to mind that that deceiver said when he was still alive, After three days I arise.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 And Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch: go, secure it as well as ye know how.
66 And they went and secured the sepulchre, having sealed the stone, with the watch [besides].
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)