³ When Judas, who had betrayed him,^(A) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver^(B) 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.”^(C)

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

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^(F) to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:^(G) “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](H)

Jesus Before Pilate^(A)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law^(B) and the whole Sanhedrin,^(C) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.^(D)

² “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(E) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply,^(F) and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(G) asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.

The Guards Mock Jesus^(A)

⁶³ The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” ⁶⁵ And they said many other insulting things to him.^(B)

Jesus Before Pilate and Herod^(C)(D)(E)

⁶⁶ At daybreak the council^(F) of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together,^(G) and Jesus was led before them. ⁶⁷ “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸ and if I asked you, you would not answer.^{(H) 69} But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”^(I)

⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”^(J)

He replied, “You say that I am.”^(K)

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”