Montgomery - Matthew - 27

27:1  And when the morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, how they might put him to death.

27:2  After they had bound him, they led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman Governor.

27:3  Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

27:4  "I have sinned," he said, "in betraying innocent blood!" "What is that to us?" they answered; "you must see to that."

27:5  And flinging down the silver into the Sanctuary, he rushed out, and went and hanged himself.

27:6  The chief priests took the money, and said, "It would be wrong to put it into the temple-treasury, because it is the price of blood."

27:7  So after the consultation they bought the Potter’s Field with it, for a burial-place for strangers.

27:8  That is the reason why, to this day, the field is called "The Field of Blood."

27:9  Then was fulfilled the word spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who had been priced, whom certain of the Children of Israel had priced;

27:10  and gave them for the Potter’s Field, as the Lord had appointed me.

27:11  Now Jesus stood before the Governor, and the Governor questioned him. "Are you the King of the Jews?" he asked.

27:12  "it is as you say," answered Jesus; but while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

27:13  Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear what they are testifying against you?"

27:14  But he made no answer, not even to one charge; insomuch that the Governor was greatly astonished.

27:15  Now it was the Governor’s custom, during the Passover, to release to the people any one prisoner whom they selected.

27:16  At that time they had a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.

27:17  So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"

27:18  He knew well that it was because of enmity that they had brought Jesus before him.

27:19  And while he was seated upon the judgment-seat, his wife had sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered many things today, in a dream, because of him."

27:20  But the chief priests and the elders urged the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus.

27:21  So when Pilate said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release unto you?" they said, "Barabbas."

27:22  And Pilate asked, "What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?" What one voice they shouted, "Let him be crucified!"

27:23  But Pilate said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they kept shouting the more fiercely, "Let him be crucified!"

27:24  So when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that on the contrary a riot was threatening, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying. "I am innocent of the blood of this man; you must answer for it."

27:25  All the people answered, "His blood be upon us and upon our children."

27:26  Then he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus he scourged, and delivered to be crucified.

27:27  Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered all the battalion together.

27:28  They stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe.

27:29  And they twisted a thorny crown for him, and put it on his head, and placed a reed in his right hand. Then they knelt before him, in mockery, crying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

27:30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head, again and again.

27:31  At last, when they had finished their mocking, they took the robe off, and put his own garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.

27:32  And as they went out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, whom they compelled to go with them to carry his cross.

27:33  And when they came to a place called Golgotha (the word means "Place of a Skull"),

27:34  they gave Jesus wine to drink, mingled with gall. But after tasting it he refused to drink it.

27:35  After crucifying him, they parted his garments among them by casting lots.

27:36  Then they sat and watched him there.

27:37  They also placed above his head his accusation written, This is Jesus The King of the Jews

27:38  At that time two robbers, also, were crucified with him; one on his right hand, the other on his left.

27:39  Those who passed by reviled him, wagging their heads saying.

27:40  "You who were going to destroy the Temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

27:41  In like manner the chief priests, too, with the Scribes and elders, kept taunting him.

27:42  "He saved other," they said, "himself he cannot save. He, the King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him!

27:43  He put his trust in God. let Him deliver him now, if He cares for him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God!’"

27:44  In the same way the robbers also who were being crucified with him, dept reviling him.

27:45  Now from noon darkness fell upon the whole land, until three o’clock in the afternoon.

27:46  But at three o’clock Jesus cried out in loud voice, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" (That is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?")

27:47  When they heard this, some of the bystanders said "He is calling for Elijah!"

27:48  At once, one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filling it with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

27:49  But the rest said. "Let be! Let us see whether Elijah is coming to save him!"

27:50  And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

27:51  And lo, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two, from the top to the bottom;

27:52  the earth quaked; the rocks split; the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

27:53  And coming forth out of the tombs, after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

27:54  When the Roman captain and the soldiers who were with him, guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were greatly terrified and said, "Certainly this man must have been God’s Son."

27:55  And there were present several women who were looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from a Galilee, ministering to him.

27:56  among them being Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jamesand Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

27:57  When it was eventide, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Josephus, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.

27:58  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

27:59  Pilate then commanded that it be given over to him.

27:60  So 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 after rolling a great stone against the opening of the tomb, he went away.

27:61  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

27:62  The day after - that is, the day following the Preparation - the chief priests and Pharisees went in a body to Pilate and said.

27:63  "We recollect, Sir, that when he was living this imposter said, ‘I will rise again after three days.’

27:64  Now therefore give order to have the sepulcher securely guarded until the third day, for fear his disciples may come and steal him away, and then tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead’;and so the last error will be worse than the first."

27:65  "You can have a guard," said Pilate. "Go your way, make it as secure as you can."

27:66  So they went and made the sepulcher secure, by sealing the stone in the presence of the guard.