THE BOOK OF MATTHEW

Matthew Chapter 27

1 ¶ When morning had come, all the chief priests and elders of the people passed a resolution against Jesus to put him to death:

2 And having bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, having seen that he was condemned, repented, and brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? that is your problem.

5 And he threw the pieces of silver down in the temple, and left, and after leaving hung himself.

6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

7 And after consultation, they used them to buy the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

8 That is why that field has been called, The field of blood, to this day.

9 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, which said, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the sons of Israel;

10 And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

11 ¶ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, It is as you say.

12 And when the chief priests and elders accused him, he answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear all of the accusations they are bringing against you?

14 And the governor was quite amazed; because Jesus did not respond to a single charge.

15 Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they wanted.

16 And they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 Therefore when the crowd had gathered together, 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 they had handed Jesus over to him because of envy.

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I suffered much today in a dream because of him.

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor asked them, Which of the two do you want me to release you? And they said, Barabbas.

22 Pilate then said to them, What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all answered, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor asked, Why, what evil has he done? But they shouted out louder, Let him be crucified.

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see to it yourselves.

25 Then all the people answered, saying, His blood be on us, and on our children.

26 ¶ Then he released Barabbas to them: and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the common hall, and the entire group of soldiers gathered around him.

28 And they stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.

29 And when they had woven a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand: and knelt before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

30 And they spit on him, and took the reed, and hit him on the head.

31 And after they had mocked him, they took the robe from him, and put his own garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.

32 And as they were going out, they met a man of Cyrene, named Simon: and they compelled him to carry the cross.

33 ¶ And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means, place of the skull,

34 They gave him vinegar to drink mixed with gall: but after he had tasted it, he refused to drink.

35 And having crucified him, they divided up his clothes, by casting lots: that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

36 And sitting down there they kept watch over him;

37 And above his head placed the charge against him in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Then they crucified two thieves with him, one on the right, and another on the left.

39 And those who passed by hurled abuse at him, shaking their heads,

40 And saying, You who would destroy the temple, and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; but he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let God deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

44 Likewise the thieves, who were crucified with him, made sport of him in the same way.

45 Now from the sixth hour to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elijah.

48 And immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let him alone, let us see if Elijah will come to save him.

50 ¶ And Jesus, having cried again with a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks split;

52 And the graves were opened; and the bodies of many saints who slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

54 Now when the centurion, and those who were with him, guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake, and the things that took place, they were terrified, and said, Truly this was the Son of God.

55 And many women, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him, were there watching from a distance:

56 Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

57 ¶ When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea came, named Joseph, who was also Jesus’ disciple:

58 He went to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that the body be given to him.

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock: and he rolled a great stone in front of the door of the tomb, and left.

61 And Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, were there sitting across from the tomb.

62 Now the next day, which followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, I will rise again after three days.

64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and tell the people, He is risen from the dead: so that the last deception is worse than the first.

65 Pilate said to them, You have a guard: go your way, make it as secure as you can.

66 So they went, and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone, and posting a guard.

[Note: Verse 45 This darkness was seen in Rome on April third 33AD.]