New Testament in a Year
Jesus Is Taken to Pilate(A)
27 Early the next morning, all the ·leading [T chief] priests and elders of the people ·decided that Jesus should die [or met together to plan Jesus’ death]. 2 They ·tied [bound] him, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate, the governor.
Judas Kills Himself
3 Judas, the one who had ·given [betrayed] Jesus to his enemies, saw that ·they had decided to kill Jesus [Jesus had been condemned]. Then he was ·very sorry [filled with remorse] for what he had done. So he took the thirty silver coins back to the leading [T chief] priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I sinned; I ·handed over to you [betrayed] ·an innocent man [L innocent blood].”
The leaders answered, “What ·is that to us [do we care]? That’s your ·problem, not ours [responsibility; concern].”
5 So Judas threw the ·money [silver coins] into the ·Temple [sanctuary]. Then he went off and hanged himself.
6 The ·leading [T chief] priests picked up the silver coins in the Temple and said, “·Our law does not allow us [or It is not right] to ·keep [put] this money ·with the Temple money [in the Temple treasury], because it ·has paid for a man’s death [is blood money; L is the price of blood].” 7 So they decided to use the coins to buy ·Potter’s Field [or the potter’s field] as a place to bury ·strangers [or foreigners]. 8 That is why that field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 So what Jeremiah the prophet had said ·came true [was fulfilled]: “They took thirty ·silver coins [T pieces of silver]. That is ·how little the Israelites thought he was worth [or the price at which he was valued by the Israelites; or the value of a man with a price on his head among the Israelites; Jer. 18:2–3; 19:1–13; 32:5–15; Zech. 11:12–13]. 10 They used those thirty silver coins to buy ·Potter’s Field [or the potter’s field], as the Lord commanded me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus(B)
11 Jesus stood before Pilate the governor, and Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “·Those are your words [It is as you say; L You say so; C an indirect affirmation].”
12 When the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders accused Jesus, he ·said nothing [did not answer].
13 So Pilate said to Jesus, “Don’t you hear them accusing you of ·all these [so many] things?”
14 But Jesus ·said nothing in answer to Pilate [did not answer a single charge], and ·Pilate [L the governor] was very ·surprised [amazed] at this.
Pilate Tries to Free Jesus(C)
15 Every year at the ·time of Passover [festival/feast] the governor would free [L for the crowd] one prisoner whom the people chose. 16 At that time there was a man in prison, named Barabbas,[a] who was ·known to be very bad [well known; notorious]. 17 When the people gathered, Pilate said, “Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas[b] or Jesus who is called the ·Christ [Messiah]?” 18 [L For] Pilate knew that they turned Jesus in to him because they were jealous.
19 While Pilate was sitting there on the judge’s seat [C a special seat for speeches or judicial pronouncements], his wife sent this message to him: “·Don’t do anything to [or Have nothing to do with] that man, because he is ·innocent [righteous]. Today I had a dream about him, and it ·troubled me very much [caused me great pain/anguish].”
20 But the ·leading [T chief] priests and elders convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be ·killed [executed].
21 Pilate said, “Which of these two do you want me to set free for you?”
The people answered, “Barabbas.”
22 Pilate asked, “So what should I do with Jesus, the one called the ·Christ [Messiah]?”
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 Pilate asked, “Why? What ·wrong [crime; evil] has he done?”
But they shouted louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he ·could do nothing about this [was getting nowhere; was gaining nothing] and that a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. Then he said, “I am ·not guilty [innocent] of this man’s ·death [L blood]. ·You are the ones who are causing it [It is your responsibility now; or Take care of it yourselves]!”
25 All the people answered, “·We and our children will be responsible for his death [L His blood be on us and on our children].”
26 Then he set Barabbas free. But he had Jesus ·beaten with whips [scourged; flogged] and handed over to the soldiers to be crucified.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.