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
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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