New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death.

1When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.

2Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

2And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

3When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.

3Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

4“I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”

4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

5Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

5And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

6The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”

6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.”

7After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.

7So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.

8That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.

8Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, “They took the thirty pieces of silver— the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,

9Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “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,

10and purchased the potter’s field, as the LORD directed. ” Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

11Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him. Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”

12But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.

12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.

13“Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded.

13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”

14But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

15Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted.

15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

16This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.

16And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

18(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

19Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

19Besides, 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 because of him today in a dream.”

20Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.

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

21So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

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

22Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

23“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

23And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

24So 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.”

25And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

26So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. The Soldiers Mock Jesus

26Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

27Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.

27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.

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

29They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”

29and 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 Jews!”

30And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.

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

31When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. The Crucifixion

31And 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.

32Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

32As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.

33And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”).

33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),

34The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.

34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

35After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

36Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.

36Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

37A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

37And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

38Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

39The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.

39And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads

40“Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

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.”

41The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.

41So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,

42“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!

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

43He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

44Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. The Death of Jesus

44And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

45At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.

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

46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

46And 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?”

47Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.

47And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

48One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.

48And 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.

49But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

50Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.

50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

52and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.

52The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,

53They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

55And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance.

55There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,

56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. The Burial of Jesus

56among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,

57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.

58went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him.

58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

59Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth.

59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud

60He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.

60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

61Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. The Guard at the Tomb

61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

62The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate.

62The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate

63They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’

63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’

64So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

64Therefore 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 risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”

65Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.”

65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.”

66So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.