Jesus Handed Over to Pilate

1When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.a 2After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate,A the governor.a

Judas Hangs Himself

3Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.a 4“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.

“What’s that to us? ” they said. “See to it yourself! ” 5So he threw the silver into the templea and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

6The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitteda to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day. 9Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They tookA the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10and they gaveA them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.a b

Jesus Faces the Governor

11Now Jesus stood before the governor.a “Are you the king of the Jews? ” the governor asked him.

Jesus answered, “You say so.”b 12While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.a

13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you? ” 14But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.a

Jesus or Barabbas

15At the festivala the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.A 17So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you — Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? ”a 18For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.

19While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”a

20The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you? ”

“Barabbas! ” they answered.

22Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ? ”

They all answered, “Crucify him! ”a

23Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong? ”

But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him! ”a

24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.A See to it yourselves! ”a

25All the people answered, “His blood be on usa and on our children! ” 26Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.a

Mocked by the Military

27Thena the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole companyA around him.b 28They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe.a 29They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews! ” 30Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head. 31After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.a

Crucified Between Two Criminals

32As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced him to carry his cross.a 33When they came to a place called Golgothaa (which means Place of the Skull), 34they gave him wineA mixed with gall to drink. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots.a a 36Then they sat down and were guarding him there. 37Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: This Is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

38Then two criminalsA were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.a 39Those who passed by were yelling insults atA him, shaking their headsa 40and 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! ”a 41In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders,A mocked him and said, 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel!a Let himA come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God; let God rescue him now — if he takes pleasure in him!A For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him taunted him.a

The Death of Jesus

45From noon until three in the afternoon,A darkness came over the whole land.B a 46About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemáA sabachtháni ? ” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me ?”a b

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”

48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.a 49But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.a 51Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuarya was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were also openeda and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

54When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God! ”a

55Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance.a 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.a

The Burial of Jesus

57When it was evening,a a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a discipleb of Jesus. 58He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that itA be released. 59So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.a 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.

The Closely Guarded Tomb

62The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilatea 63and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’a 64So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciplesa may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

65“TakeA guards,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.a