Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.^{(A) 2} So they bound him, led him away and handed him over^(B) to Pilate the governor.^(C)

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him,^(D) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver^(E) to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”^(F)

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple^(G) and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.^(H)

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood^(I) to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:^(J) “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a](K)

Jesus Before Pilate^(L)

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(M)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{(N) 13} Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{(O) 14} But Jesus made no reply,^(P) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(Q) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[b] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(R) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(S) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(T) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(U) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(V)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(W) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(X) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(Y) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(Z) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(AA)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(AB)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(AC) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Divisions of Priests

24 These were the divisions^(A) of the descendants of Aaron:^(B)

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{(C) 2} But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did,^(D) and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. ³ With the help of Zadok^(E) a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. ⁴ A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. ⁵ They divided them impartially by casting lots,^(F) for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek^(G) son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

¹⁹ This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

The Rest of the Levites

²⁰ As for the rest of the descendants of Levi:^(M)

These were the Levites, according to their families. ³¹ They also cast lots,^(Q) just as their relatives the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelek, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

The Musicians

25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,^(R) Heman^(S) and Jeduthun^(T) for the ministry of prophesying,^(U) accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.^(V) Here is the list of the men^(W) who performed this service:^(X)

² From the sons of Asaph:

³ As for Jeduthun, from his sons:^(Y)

⁴ As for Heman, from his sons:

⁶ All these men were under the supervision of their father^(AA) for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman^(AB) were under the supervision of the king.^{(AC) 7} Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. ⁸ Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots^(AD) for their duties.

The Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:^(AG)

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering^(AK) in the temple of the Lord, just as their relatives had. ¹³ Lots^(AL) were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate^(AM) fell to Shelemiah.^[h] Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah,^(AN) a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom,^(AO) and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.

Guard was alongside of guard: ¹⁷ There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the court^[i] to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court^[j] itself.

¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.^(AP)

The Treasurers and Other Officials

²⁰ Their fellow Levites^(AQ) were^[k] in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.^(AR)

²¹ The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite,^(AS) were Jehieli, ²² the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries^(AT) of the temple of the Lord.

²³ From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:^(AU)