Matthew 27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus Brought before Pilate
27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2 They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.(A)
The Suicide of Judas
3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[a] was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.(B) 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent[b] blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”(C) 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.(D) 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.(E) 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,[c] “And they took[d] the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set,[e] on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price,(F) 10 and they gave[f] them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.(G) 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”(H) 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.(I)
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus[g] Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus[h] Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”[i] 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”(J) 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.(K) 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”[j] All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;[k] see to it yourselves.”(L) 25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”(M) 26 So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.(N)
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,[l] and they gathered the whole cohort around him.(O) 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”(P) 30 They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.(Q) 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(R)
The Crucifixion of Jesus
32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.(S) 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.(T) 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;[m](U) 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him.(V) 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38 Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.(W) 39 Those who passed by derided[n] him, shaking their heads(X) 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”(Y) 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself.[o] He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.(Z) 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ”(AA) 44 The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land[p] until three in the afternoon.(AB) 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(AC) 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.(AD) 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”[q] 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.[r] 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.(AE) 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”[s](AF)
55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.(AG) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[t] and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.(AH)
The Burial of Jesus
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus.(AI) 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.(AJ) 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’(AK) 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard[u] of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.”[v](AL) 66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.(AM)
Footnotes
- 27.3 Gk he
- 27.4 Other ancient authorities read righteous
- 27.9 Other ancient authorities read Zechariah or Isaiah
- 27.9 Or I took
- 27.9 Or the price of the precious One
- 27.10 Other ancient authorities read I gave
- 27.16 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus
- 27.17 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus
- 27.17 Or the Christ
- 27.22 Or the Christ
- 27.24 Other ancient authorities read this righteous blood or this righteous man’s blood
- 27.27 Gk the praetorium
- 27.35 Other ancient authorities add in order that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
- 27.39 Or blasphemed
- 27.42 Or is he unable to save himself?
- 27.45 Or earth
- 27.49 Other ancient authorities add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and out came water and blood
- 27.50 Or gave up his spirit
- 27.54 Or a son of God
- 27.56 Some ancient authorities read Joses
- 27.65 Or Take a guard
- 27.65 Gk you know how
Matthew 27
Names of God Bible
The Death of Judas
27 Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Yeshua. 2 They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, who had betrayed Yeshua, regretted what had happened when he saw that Yeshua was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders. 4 He said, “I’ve sinned by betraying an innocent man.”
They replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”
5 So he threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the money and said, “It’s not right to put it into the temple treasury, because it’s blood money.” 7 So they decided to use it to buy a potter’s field for the burial of strangers. 8 That’s why that field has been called the Field of Blood ever since. 9 Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true, “They took the 30 silver coins, the price the people of Israel had placed on him, 10 and used the coins to buy a potter’s field, as the Lord had directed me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus(A)
11 Yeshua stood in front of the governor, Pilate. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, I am,” Yeshua answered.
12 While the chief priests and leaders were accusing him, he said nothing. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?”
14 But Yeshua said absolutely nothing to him in reply, so the governor was very surprised.
The Crowd Rejects Jesus(B)
15 At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner whom the crowd wanted. 16 At that time there was a well-known prisoner by the name of Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to free for you? Do you want me to free Barabbas or Yeshua, who is called Christ?” 18 Pilate knew that they had handed Yeshua over to him because they were jealous.
19 While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Leave that innocent man alone. I’ve been very upset today because of a dream I had about him.”
20 But the chief priests and leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the execution of Yeshua.
21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to free for you?”
They said, “Barabbas.”
22 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Yeshua, who is called Christ?”
“He should be crucified!” they all said.
23 Pilate asked, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they began to shout loudly, “He should be crucified!”
24 Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!”
25 All the people answered, “The responsibility for killing him will rest on us and our children.”
26 Then Pilate freed Barabbas for the people. But he had Yeshua whipped and handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus(C)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the palace and gathered the whole troop around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him. 29 They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 30 After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.
The Crucifixion(D)
31 After the soldiers finished making fun of Yeshua, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Yeshua’s cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat there and kept watch over him. 37 They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, “This is Yeshua, the king of the Jews.”
38 At that time they crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.
39 Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads 40 and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 The chief priests together with the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said, 42 “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. So he’s Israel’s king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him. 43 He trusted God. Let God rescue him now if he wants. After all, this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the criminals crucified with him were insulting him the same way.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(E)
45 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 About three o’clock Yeshua cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 47 When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Yeshua a drink. 49 The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 Then Yeshua loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.
51 Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. 52 The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.
54 An army officer and those watching Yeshua with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Yeshua from Galilee and had always supported him. 56 Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb(F)
57 In the evening a rich man named Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and had become a disciple of Yeshua. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Yeshua. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then he laid it in his own new tomb, which had been cut in a rock. After rolling a large stone against the door of the tomb, he went away. 61 Mary from Magdala and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.
The Chief Priests and Pharisees Secure Jesus’ Tomb
62 The next day, which was the day of worship, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate. 63 They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’ 64 Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been brought back to life.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have the soldiers you want for guard duty. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
66 So they went to secure the tomb. They placed a seal on the stone and posted the soldiers on guard duty.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.