Matthew 27 WHEN morning came all the high priests and the elders of the people consulted together against Jesus to put him to death.

Riverside⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ WHEN morning came all the high priests and the elders of the people consulted together against Jesus to put him to death. ² After binding him, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate the Governor. ³ Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus had been condemned, was sorry and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I sinned in betraying innocent blood!" But they said, "What is that to us? You must see to that." ⁵ Then throwing the silver into the Temple he left and went and hung himself. ⁶ The high priests took the money and said, "It is not proper to put it in with the consecrated gifts, since it is the price of blood." ⁷ So after consultation they bought with it the potter's field for the burial of strangers. ⁸ For this reason that field is called the "Field of Blood" to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what was said through Jeremiah the prophet, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was priced, whom they priced from the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me." ¹¹ Jesus stood before the Governor. The Governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "I am." ¹² While he was being accused by the high priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" ¹⁴ But Jesus did not answer even one word, so that the Governor was much astonished. ¹⁵ At every feast the Governor was accustomed to release for the people one prisoner, whomever they chose. ¹⁶ There was at that time a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷ So, when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" ¹⁸ For he knew that out of jealousy they had handed him over. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent to him a message, "Do not have anything to do with that righteous man. For I have suffered much to-day in a dream because of him." ²⁰ The high priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The Governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" They said, "Barabbas." ²² Pilate said to them, "What, then, shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Have him crucified." ²³ He said, "Why, what wrong has he done?" But they kept shouting furiously, "Have him crucified!" ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was doing no good, but rather that an uproar was arising, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd and said, "I am innocent of this blood. You will have to see to it." ²⁵ All the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them, but scourged Jesus and handed him over to be crucified. ²⁷ Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus with them into the castle and gathered about him all the battalion. ²⁸ They stripped him and put on him a crimson cloak, ²⁹ twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, put a reed into his right hand, and, going down on their knees before him, made sport of him, shouting, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ After they had finished making sport of him, they took off from him the crimson cloak and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucifixion. ³² As they were going out, they chanced upon a man from Cyrene by the name of Simon. This man they impressed to carry the cross of Jesus. ³³ On coming to a place called Golgotha (that is, Skull Place), ³⁴ they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink. He tasted it and would not drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS ³⁸ At the same time there were crucified along with him two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ The people who went by insulted him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, "You who can pull down the Temple and in three days build it up, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!" ⁴¹ In the same way the high priests, making sport of him, along with the scribes and elders, kept saying, ⁴² "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " ⁴⁴ In the same way even the robbers who were crucified with him insulted him. ⁴⁵ From noon darkness came over all the land until three o'clock. ⁴⁶ About three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?") ⁴⁷ Some of those who were standing there said, when they heard it, "This man is calling for Elijah." ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them took a sponge and filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and gave him a drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, "Let him alone, let us see whether Elijah comes to save him." ⁵⁰ But Jesus, after calling out again with a loud voice, gave up his spirit. ⁵¹ Suddenly the curtain of the Temple was rent in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked. The rocks were split, ⁵² and the tombs were opened and many bodies of the sleeping saints arose, ⁵³ and, coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ The Centurion and his men who were guarding Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that happened, were greatly terrified and said, "Truly this man was a son of God!" ⁵⁵ Looking on from a distance, were many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, waiting upon him. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. ⁵⁷ In the late afternoon there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen sheet ⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone up to the door of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene remained there and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. ⁶² On the next day, that is, the day after the Preparation, the high priests and the Pharisees gathered about Pilate ⁶³ and said, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was alive, 'After three days I shall be raised up.' ⁶⁴ So give orders to have the tomb guarded until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last error will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, "You may have a guard. Go make it as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶ They went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone as well as setting a watch.