27It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death. ²They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.

³Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴“I have sinned,” he said. “I handed over a man who is not guilty.”

“What do we care?” they replied. “That’s your problem.”

⁵So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁶The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, “It’s against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man’s death.” ⁷So they decided to use the money to buy a potter’s field. People from other countries would be buried there. ⁸That is why it has been called The Field of Blood to this very day. ⁹Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, “They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. ¹⁰They used the coins to buy a potter’s field, just as the Lord commanded me.”

Jesus Is Brought to Pilate

¹¹Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes. It is just as you say,” Jesus replied.

¹²But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. ¹³Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the charges they are bringing against you?”

¹⁴But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.

¹⁵It was the governor’s practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. ¹⁶At that time they had a well-known prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don’t have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him.”

²⁰But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.

²¹“Which of the two do you want me to set free?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²²“Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³“Why? What wrong has he done?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. “I am not guilty of this man’s death,” he said. “You are accountable for that!”

²⁵All the people answered, “We and our children will accept the guilt for his death!”

²⁶Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.

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