Matthew 27:51–66

^51aAnd behold, ^bthe ¹veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and ^cthe earth shook and the rocks were split.

⁵²The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the ¹saints who had ^afallen asleep were raised;

⁵³and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered ^athe holy city and appeared to many.

^54aNow the centurion, and those who were with him ^bkeeping guard over Jesus, when they saw ^cthe earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was ^1dthe Son of God!”

^55aMany women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ^1bministering to Him.

⁵⁶Among them was ^aMary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and ^bthe mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

^57aWhen it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

⁵⁹And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled ^aa large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

⁶¹And ^aMary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

⁶²Now on the next day, ¹the day after ^athe preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,

⁶³and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘^aAfter three days I am to rise again.’

⁶⁴“Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a ^aguard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”

⁶⁶And they went and made the grave secure, and along with ^athe guard they set a ^bseal on ^cthe stone.