Matthew 26:69–27:37

Peter Denies Jesus Three Times

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a female slave came up to him and* said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it* in the presence of them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean!” 71 And when he* went out to the gateway, another female slavel saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” 72 And again he denied it* with an oath, “I do not know the man!” 73 And after a little while those who were standing there came up and* said to Peter, “You really are one of them also, because even your accent ⌊reveals who you are⌋.”m 74 Then he began to curse and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the statement Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times,” and he went outside and* wept bitterly.

Jesus Taken to Pilate

27 Now when it* was early morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put him to death. 2 And after* tying him up, they led him* away and handed him* over to Pilate the governor.

The Suicide of Judas Iscariot

3 Then when* Judas, the one who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he regretted what he had done* and* returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by* betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”* 5 And throwing the silver coins into the temple he departed. And he went away and* hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests took the silver coins and* said, “It is not permitted to put them into the temple treasury, because it is ⌊blood money⌋.”a 7 And after* taking counsel, they purchased ⌊with⌋b them the Potter’s Field, for a burial place for strangers. 8 (For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood until today.) 9 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, who said, “And they took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one who had been priced, on whom a price had been set by the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord directed me.”c

Jesus Before Pilate

11 So Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 And ⌊when he was being accused⌋d by the chief priests and elders he answered nothing. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?” 14 And he did not reply to him, not even with reference to one statement, so that the governor was very astonished.

Pilate Releases Barabbas

15 Now at each feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd—the one whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Jesuse Barabbas.f 17 So after* they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you—Jesusg Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. 19 And while* he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message* to him, saying, “⌊Have nothing to do with that righteous man⌋,h for I have suffered much as a result of a dream today because of him.”) 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death. 21 So the governor answered and* said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then should I do with Jesus, the one who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they began to shout* even louder, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

24 So Pilate, when he* saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water and* washed hisi hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it!”* 25 And all the people answered and* said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them, but after* he had Jesus flogged, he handed him* over so that he could be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s residence and* gathered the whole cohort to him. 28 And they stripped him and* put a scarlet military cloak around him, 29 and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it* on his head, and putj a reed in his right hand. And kneeling down before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 30 And they spat on him and* took the reed and repeatedly struckk him* on his head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the military cloak and put his own clothes on him, and led him away in order to crucify him.*

Jesus Is Crucified

32 And as they* were going out, they found a man of Cyrene ⌊named⌋l Simon. They forced this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they* came to a place called Golgotha (which ⌊means Place of a Skull⌋),m 34 they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink, and when he* tasted it* he did not want to drink it.* 35 And when they* had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves* by* casting lots. 36 And they sat down and* were watching over him there. 37 And they put above his head the charge against him ⌊in writing⌋:n “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”