51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuaryn was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also openedo and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

54 When 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!”p

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

THE BURIAL OF JESUS

57 When it was evening,s a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciplet of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that itL be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and 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.u 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.

THE CLOSELY GUARDED TOMB

62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilatev 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’w 64 So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciplesx 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 “You haveM a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.y