Shared Word Translation
Matthew 27
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. They bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.
Judas’s Death
Then Judas, who betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, and he regretted it and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
and they gave them for the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed me.”
Jesus Before Pilate
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Judeans?” Jesus said, “You say so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Barabbas Released; Jesus Condemned
Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they were gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was because of envy that they had delivered him up.
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much today in a dream because of him.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!”
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why—what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 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 mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Judeans!” They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink mixed with gall, but when he tasted it he would not drink it.
And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Judeans.” Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 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.”
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will trust him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if God desires him; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” And the rebels who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Signs and Confession
And look—the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Now when the centurion and those with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what had happened, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was God’s Son!” There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also had become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting the guard.