Matthew 27

1Jesus Is Taken to Pilate Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1-2; John 18:28-32

When morning came, all the high priests and the elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death.Ps 2:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; 23:1; John 18:28
2They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius
Other mss. lack Pontius
Pilate, the governor.Matt 20:19; Acts 3:13

3The Death of Judas Acts 1:18-19Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus
Lit. he
was condemned. He brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders,Matt 26:14-15
4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent
Other mss. read righteous
blood.”

But they said, “What do we care? See to that yourself.”
5Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and went outside. Then he went away and hanged himself.2Sam 17:23; Acts 1:18

6The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, because it is blood money.” 7So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter's Field as a burial ground for foreigners. 8That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.Acts 1:19 9Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,Zech 11:12-13

“They
Or I
took the thirty pieces of silver,

the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelites,
Lit. the sons of Israel

10and they
Other mss. read I
gave them for the potter's field,

as the Lord commanded me.”
Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9

11Pilate Questions Jesus Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:3-5; John 18:33-38Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus said, “You say so.”Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33, 37; 1Tim 6:13

12While Jesus
Lit. he
was being accused by the high priests and elders, he made no reply.Matt 26:63; John 19:9
13Then Pilate said to him, “Don't you hear how many charges they're bringing against you?”Matt 26:62; John 19:10 14But Jesus
Lit. he
did not reply at all, so that the governor was very surprised.
15Jesus Is Sentenced to Death Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16At every festival
I.e. Passover Festival
the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted.Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17; John 18:39
16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.
Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas
17So when the people
Lit. they
had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,
Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas
or Jesus who is called the Christ?”
I.e. the Messiah
18For he knew that they had handed him over because of jealousy.

19While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message.
Lit. sent him
It said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I have suffered terribly because of a dream about him.”
20But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death.Mark 15:11; Luke 23:18; John 18:40; Acts 3:14

21So the governor said to them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”

They said, “Barabbas!”

22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?”
I.e. the Messiah

They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

23He asked, “What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”

24Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's
Other mss. read this righteous man's
blood. You must see to that yourselves.”Deut 21:6

25All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!”Deut 19:10; Josh 2:19; 2Sam 1:16; 1Kings 2:32; Acts 5:28 26Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.Isa 53:5; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:16, 24-25; John 19:1, 16

27The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus Mark 15:16-20; John 19:2-3Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquarters
Lit. praetorium
and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.Mark 15:15; John 19:2
28They stripped
Other mss. read clothed
him and put a scarlet robe on him.Luke 23:11
29Twisting some thorns into a victor's crown, they placed it on his head and put
The Gk. lacks put
a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!”Ps 69:19; Isa 53:3
30Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head.Isa 50:6; Matt 26:67

31When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.Isa 53:7

32Jesus Is Crucified Mark 15:21-32; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17-27As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus’
Lit. his
cross.Num 15:35; 1Kings 21:13; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26; Acts 7:58; Heb 13:12
33When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Skull Place”),Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17 34they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it.Ps 69:21; Matt 27:48

35After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.Ps 22:18; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24 36Then they sat down there and continued guarding him.Matt 27:54 37Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19

38At that time two bandits
Or revolutionaries
were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left.Isa 53:12; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32-33; John 19:18
39Those who passed by kept insulting
Or blaspheming
him, shaking their heads,Ps 22:7; 109:25; Mark 15:29; Luke 23:35
40and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”Matt 26:61, 63; John 2:19

41In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying, 42“He saved others but can't save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him
Other mss. read If he is the king of Israel, let him
come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.
43He trusts in God. Let God
Lit. him
rescue him now if he cares for him. After all, he said, ‘I am the Son of God,’”Ps 22:8
44Even the bandits
Or revolutionaries
who were crucified with him kept insulting him in the same way.Mark 15:32; Luke 23:39

45Jesus Dies on the Cross Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-30Now from noon
Lit. the sixth hour
on, darkness came over the whole land
Or earth
until three in the afternoon.
Lit. the ninth hour
Amos 8:9; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44
46About three o'clock
Lit. the ninth hour
Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Ps 22:1
Ps 22:1; Heb 5:7

47When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “He's calling for Elijah.”
Elijah in Heb. sounds like Eli
48So one of the men at once ran off, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus
Lit. him
a drink.Ps 69:21; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29

49But the others kept saying, “Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come and save him.”
Other mss. read save him.” And another took a spear and pierced his side, and water and blood came out.

50Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and gave up his spirit.Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46 51Suddenly the curtain
This curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks were split open,Exod 26:31; 2Chr 3:14; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45
52the tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died
Lit. fallen asleep
were raised.
53After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs and went into the Holy City
I.e. Jerusalem
and appeared to many people.

54When the centurion
A Roman centurion commanded about 100 men.
and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, “This man certainly was the Son of God!”Matt 27:36; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47

55Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to
Or provided for
him.Luke 8:2-3
56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.Mark 15:40

57Jesus Is Buried Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42When evening came, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus.Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50; John 19:38 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be handed over.

59So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he went away.Isa 53:9 61But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb. 62The Tomb Is SecuredThe next day (which is after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’Matt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 26:61; Mark 8:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:6-7; John 2:19 64Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”

65Pilate told them, “You have
Or Take
a military guard. Go and make the tomb
Lit. it
as secure as you know how.”
66So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.Dan 6:17

Copyright information for ISV