The Preacher's Bible

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. ²They bound him, led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor. ³Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”

⁵He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary and departed. Then he went away and hanged himself. ⁶The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It’s not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.” ⁷They took counsel, and bought the potter’s field with them to bury strangers in. ⁸Therefore that field has been called “The Field of Blood” to this day.

⁹Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set, whom some of the children of Israel priced,

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

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “So you say.” ¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”

¹⁴He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. ¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner whom they desired. ¹⁶They had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” ²⁰Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

²¹But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”

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

²³But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

²⁵All the people answered, “May his blood be on us and on our children!”

²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified. ²⁷Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹When they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³²As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross. ³³When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” ³⁴they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink. ³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots, ³⁶and they sat and watched him there. ³⁷They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left. ³⁹Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

⁴¹Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, ⁴²“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. 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 deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

⁴⁷Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. ⁴⁹The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. ⁵¹Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. ⁵²The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴Now the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, were terrified, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. ⁵⁷When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple, came. ⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. ⁵⁹Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. ⁶²Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” ⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.