Old/New Testament

⁵¹ At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.

⁵² The graves opened. Many of God's people who had died rose from death.

⁵³ They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.

⁵⁴ The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, `Surely this man was God's Son.'

⁵⁵ Many women were there watching from far away. They had come with Jesus from Galilee and had helped him.

⁵⁶ Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

⁵⁷ In the evening, a rich man came. He was Joseph from the town of Arimathea. He also believed in Jesus.

⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate said that it should be given to him.

⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped a clean linen cloth around it.

⁶⁰ He put the body in his own new grave which had been cut in a rock. He rolled a very big stone to close the grave. Then he went away.

⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. They sat where they could see the grave.

⁶² The next day was the Sabbath day. The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate together.

⁶³ They said, `Sir, that man fooled people. We remember what he said when he was still living. He said that he would rise after three days.

⁶⁴ So give orders that the grave must be guarded for three days. Then his disciples cannot come in the night to carry away his body, and tell people he rose from death. This last trick would be worse than the first.'

⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, `Take soldiers. Go and guard the grave as well as you can.'

⁶⁶ So they went and shut the grave tight. They put a government mark on the big stone. And the soldiers stayed to guard it. This was to make sure the grave would stay shut.