Matthew 26:50–27:50

⁵⁰But Jesus said to him, My friend, for what purpose art thou come? Then coming up they laid hands upon Jesus and seized him. ⁵¹And behold, one of those with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and smiting the bondman of the high priest took off his ear. ⁵²Then saith Jesus to him, Return thy sword to its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword. ⁵³Or thinkest thou that I cannot now call upon my Father, and he will furnish me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴How then should the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? ⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the crowds, Are ye come out as against a robber with swords and sticks to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye did not seize me. ⁵⁶But all this is come to pass that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him and fled.

⁵⁷Now they that had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸And Peter followed him at a distance, even to the palace of the high priest, and entering in sat with the officers to see the end. ⁵⁹And the chief priests and the elders and the whole sanhedrim sought false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death. ⁶⁰And they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. But at the last two false witnesses came forward ⁶¹and said, He said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and in three days build it. ⁶²And the high priest standing up said to him, Answerest thou nothing? What do these witness against thee? ⁶³But Jesus was silent. And the high priest answering said to him, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us if thou art the Christ the Son of God. ⁶⁴Jesus says to him, Thou hast said. Moreover, I say to you, From henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. ⁶⁵Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has blasphemed: what need have we any more of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What think ye? And they answering said, He is liable to the penalty of death. ⁶⁷Then they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and some struck him with the palms of their hand, ⁶⁸saying, Prophesy to us, Christ, Who is it who struck thee?

⁶⁹But Peter sat without in the palace-court; and a maid came to him, saying, And thou wast with Jesus the Galilaean. ⁷⁰But he denied before all, saying, I do not know what thou sayest. ⁷¹And when he had gone out into the entrance, another maid saw him, and says to those there, This man also was with Jesus the Nazaraean. ⁷²And again he denied with an oath: I do not know the man. ⁷³And after a little, those who stood there, coming to him, said to Peter, Truly thou too art of them, for also thy speech makes thee manifest. ⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who had said to him, Before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went forth without, and wept bitterly.

Chapter 27

¹And when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so that they might put him to death. ²And having bound him they led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor. ³Then Judas, who delivered him up, seeing that he had been condemned, filled with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴saying, I have sinned in having delivered up guiltless blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. ⁵And having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself. ⁶And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, It is not lawful to cast them into the Corban, since it is the price of blood. ⁷And having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter for a burying-ground for strangers. ⁸Wherefore that field has been called Blood-field unto this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, saying, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was set a price on, whom they who were of the sons of Israel had set a price on, ¹⁰and they gave them for the field of the potter, according as the Lord commanded me.

¹¹But Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest. ¹²And when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders, he answered nothing. ¹³Then says Pilate to him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? ¹⁴And he answered him not so much as one word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. ¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whom they would. ¹⁶And they had then a notable prisoner, named Barabbas. ¹⁷They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom will ye that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? ¹⁸For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy. ¹⁹But, as he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered to-day many things in a dream because of him. ²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should beg for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ²¹And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. ²²Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. ²³And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified. ²⁴And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see ye to it. ²⁵And all the people answering said, His blood be on us and on our children.

²⁶Then he released to them Barabbas; but Jesus, having scourged him, he delivered up that he might be crucified. ²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus with them to the praetorium, gathered against him the whole band, ²⁸and having taken off his garment, put on him a scarlet cloak; ²⁹and having woven a crown out of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! ³⁰And having spit upon him, they took the reed and beat him on his head. ³¹And when they had mocked him, they took the cloak off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify. ³²And as they went forth they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go with them that he might bear his cross.

³³And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a skull, ³⁴they gave to him to drink vinegar mingled with gall; and having tasted it, he would not drink. ³⁵And having crucified him, they parted his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots. ³⁶And sitting down, they kept guard over him there. ³⁷And they set up over his head his accusation written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. ³⁸Then are crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. ³⁹But the passers-by reviled him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou art Son of God, descend from the cross. ⁴¹And in like manner the chief priests also, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴²He saved others, himself he cannot save. He is King of Israel: let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him. ⁴³He trusted upon God; let him save him now if he will have him. For he said, I am Son of God. ⁴⁴And the robbers also who had been crucified with him cast the same reproaches on him. ⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour; ⁴⁶but about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ⁴⁷And some of those who stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calls for Elias. ⁴⁸And immediately one of them running and getting a sponge, having filled it with vinegar and fixed it on a reed, gave him to drink. ⁴⁹But the rest said, Let be; let us see if Elias comes to save him.

⁵⁰And Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.