Matthew 27:57–66

THE BURIAL OF JESUS

⁵⁷When it was evening,^s a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple^t of Jesus. ⁵⁸He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it^A 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.^{u 61}Mary 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 Pilate^{v 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 disciples^x 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 have^B a guard of soldiers,” 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.^y