Matthew 27:1-26

Evangelical Heritage Version

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people reached the decision to put Jesus to death. ² They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

The End of Judas

³ Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse. He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders ⁴ and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? That’s your problem.”

⁵ He threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. ⁶ The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put these into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ They reached a decision to buy the potter’s field with the money, as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ So that field has been called The Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

Jesus’ Trial in Pilate’s Court

¹¹ When Jesus stood in the presence of the governor, the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they are testifying against you?”

¹⁴ But he did not answer him—not even one word, so that the governor was very surprised.

Barabbas or Jesus?

¹⁵ At the time of the Festival the governor had a custom to release to the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas—or Jesus, who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because of envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, Pilate’s wife sent him a message. “Have nothing to do with that righteous man,” she said, “since I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹ The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

“Barabbas!” they said.

²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Crucify him!”

²³ But the governor said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting even louder: “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that instead it was turning into a riot, he took water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood. It is your responsibility.”

²⁵ And all the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.