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Matthew 27

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

1 ^aWhen morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people ^btook counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and ^cled him away and ^ddelivered him over to ^ePilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3 Then when ^fJudas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus ^{▼

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Greek he} was condemned ^hhe changed his mind and brought back ⁱthe thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? ^jSee to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple ^khe departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into ^lthe treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore ^mthat field has been called the Field of Blood ⁿto this day. 9 ^oThen was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying ^p“And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jesus Before Pilate

11 ^qNow Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you ^rthe King of the Jews?” Jesus said, ^s“You have said so.” 12 ^tBut when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him ^u“Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

15 ^vNow at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or ^wJesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out ^xof envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on ^ythe judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with ^zthat righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today ^aain a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ^abask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 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 shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” ^acThey all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why ^adwhat evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that ^aea riot was beginning, he took water and ^afwashed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of ^agthis man’s blood; ^{▼

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Some manuscripts this righteous blood, or this righteous man’s blood} ^aisee to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered ^aj“His blood be on us and ^akon our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having ^alscourged ^{▼

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A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing imbedded pieces of bone and metal} Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27 ^anThen the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the ^aogovernor’s headquarters ^{▼

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Greek the praetorium} and they gathered the whole ^aqbattalion ^{▼

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Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men} before him. 28 And they stripped him and put ^asa scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they ^atmocked him, saying, “Hail ^auKing of the Jews!” 30 And ^avthey spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and ^awled him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32 ^ax, ^ayAs they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to ^azcarry his cross. 33 ^baAnd when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 ^bbthey offered him wine to drink, mixed with ^bcgall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him ^bdthey divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and ^bekept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus ^bfthe King of the Jews.” 38 Then two ^bgrobbers were crucified with him ^bhone on the right and one on the left. 39 And ^bithose who passed by ^bjderided him ^bkwagging their heads 40 and saying ^bl“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! ^bmIf you are ^bnthe Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 ^bo“He saved others; ^bphe cannot save himself. ^bqHe is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 ^brHe trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 ^bsAnd the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour ^{▼

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That is, noon} there was darkness over all the land ^{▼

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Or earth} until the ninth hour. ^{▼

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That is, 3 p.m.} 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus ^bwcried out with a loud voice, saying, ^bx“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with ^bysour wine, and put it on a reed and ^bzgave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus ^cacried out again with a loud voice and ^cbyielded up his spirit.

51 And behold ^ccthe curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And ^cdthe earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of ^cethe saints ^cfwho had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into ^cgthe holy city and appeared to many. 54 ^chWhen the centurion and those who were with him ^cikeeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said ^cj“Truly this was the Son ^{▼

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Or a son} of God!”

55 There were also ^clmany women there, looking on ^cmfrom a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ^cnministering to him, 56 among whom were ^coMary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and ^cpthe mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57 ^cqWhen it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and ^crlaid it in his own new tomb ^cswhich he had cut in the rock. And he rolled ^cta great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and ^cuthe other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of ^cvPreparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how ^cwthat impostor said, while he was still alive, ^cx‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day ^cylest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have ^cza guard ^{▼

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Or Take a guard} of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by ^dbsealing the stone and setting a guard.