Matthew 26:50–27:50

⁵⁰and Jesus said to him, ‘Comrade, for what art thou present?’ Then having come near, they laid hands on Jesus, and took hold on him. ⁵¹And lo, one of those with Jesus, having stretched forth the hand, drew his sword, and having struck the servant of the chief priest, he took off his ear. ⁵²Then saith Jesus to him, ‘Turn back thy sword to its place; for all who did take the sword, by the sword shall perish; ⁵³dost thou think that I am not able now to call upon my Father, and He will place beside me more than twelve legions of messengers? ⁵⁴how then may the Writings be fulfilled, that thus it behoveth to happen?’ ⁵⁵In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, ‘As against a robber ye did come forth, with swords and sticks, to take me! daily with you I was sitting teaching in the temple, and ye did not lay hold on me; ⁵⁶but all this hath come to pass, that the Writings of the prophets may be fulfilled;’ then all the disciples, having left him, fled.

⁵⁷And those laying hold on Jesus led him away unto Caiaphas the chief priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together, ⁵⁸and Peter was following him afar off, unto the court of the chief priest, and having gone in within, he was sitting with the officers, to see the end. ⁵⁹And the chief priests, and the elders, and all the council, were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰and they did not find; and many false witnesses having come near, they did not find; and at last two false witnesses having come near, ⁶¹said, ‘This one said, I am able to throw down the sanctuary of God, and after three days to build it.’ ⁶²And the chief priest having stood up, said to him, ‘Nothing thou dost answer! what do these witness against thee? ⁶³and Jesus was silent. And the chief priest answering said to him, ‘I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou mayest say to us, if thou art the Christ—the Son of God.’ ⁶⁴Jesus saith to him, ‘Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.’ ⁶⁵Then the chief priest rent his garments, saying,—‘He hath spoken evil; what need have we yet of witnesses? lo, now ye heard his evil speaking; ⁶⁶what think ye?’ and they answering said, ‘He is worthy of death.’ ⁶⁷Then did they spit in his face and buffet him, and others did slap, ⁶⁸saying, ‘Declare to us, O Christ, who he is that struck thee?’

⁶⁹And Peter without was sitting in the court, and there came near to him a certain maid, saying, ‘And thou wast with Jesus of Galilee!’ ⁷⁰And he denied before all, saying, ‘I have not known what thou sayest.’ ⁷¹And he having gone forth to the porch, another female saw him, and saith to those there, ‘And this one was with Jesus of Nazareth;’ ⁷²and again did he deny with an oath—‘I have not known the man.’ ⁷³And after a little those standing near having come, said to Peter, ‘Truly thou also art of them, for even thy speech doth make thee manifest.’ ⁷⁴Then began he to anathematise, and to swear—‘I have not known the man;’ and immediately did a cock crow, ⁷⁵and Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, he having said to him—‘Before cock-crowing, thrice thou wilt deny me;’ and having gone without, he did weep bitterly.

Chapter 27

¹And morning having come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, so as to put him to death; ²and having bound him, they did lead away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor. ³Then Judas—he who delivered him up—having seen that he was condemned, having repented, brought back the thirty silverlings to the chief priests, and to the elders, saying, ⁴‘I did sin, having delivered up innocent blood;’ and they said, ‘What—to us? thou shalt see!’ ⁵and having cast down the silverlings in the sanctuary, he departed, and having gone away, he did strangle himself. ⁶And the chief priests having taken the silverlings, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them to the treasury, seeing it is the price of blood;’ ⁷and having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter, for the burial of strangers; ⁸therefore was that field called, ‘Field of blood,’ unto this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled that spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ‘And I took the thirty silverlings, the price of him who hath been priced, whom they of the sons of Israel did price, ¹⁰and gave them for the field of the potter, as the Lord did appoint to me.’

¹¹And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor did question him, saying, ‘Art thou the king of the Jews!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Thou sayest.’ ¹²And in his being accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not answer any thing, ¹³then saith Pilate to him, ‘Dost thou not hear how many things they witness against thee?’ ¹⁴And he did not answer him, not even to one word, so that the governor did wonder greatly. ¹⁵And at the feast the governor had been accustomed to release one to the multitude, a prisoner, whom they willed, ¹⁶and they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas, ¹⁷they therefore having been gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom will ye I shall release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?’ ¹⁸for he had known that because of envy they had delivered him up. ¹⁹And as he is sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Nothing—to thee and to that righteous one, for many things did I suffer to-day in a dream because of him.’ ²⁰And the chief priests and the elders did persuade the multitudes that they might ask for themselves Barabbas, and might destroy Jesus; ²¹and the governor answering said to them, ‘Which of the two will ye that I shall release to you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ ²²Pilate saith to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all say to him, ‘Let be crucified!’ ²³And the governor said, ‘Why, what evil did he?’ and they were crying out the more, saying, ‘Let be crucified.’ ²⁴And Pilate having seen that it profiteth nothing, but rather a tumult is made, having taken water, he did wash the hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent from the blood of this righteous one; ye—ye shall see;’ ²⁵and all the people answering said, ‘His blood is upon us, and upon our children!’

²⁶Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him up that he may be crucified; ²⁷then the soldiers of the governor having taken Jesus to the Praetorium, did gather to him all the band; ²⁸and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak, ²⁹and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, ‘Hail, the king of the Jews.’ ³⁰And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head; ³¹and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him. ³²And coming forth, they found a man, a Cyrenian, by name Simon: him they impressed that he might bear his cross.

³³And having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull, ³⁴they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall, and having tasted, he would not drink. ³⁵And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, ‘They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;’ ³⁶and sitting down, they were watching him there, ³⁷and they put up over his head, his accusation written, ‘This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.’ ³⁸Then crucified with him are two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left, ³⁹and those passing by were speaking evil of him, wagging their heads, ⁴⁰and saying, ‘Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building it, save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.’ ⁴¹And in like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴²‘Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him; ⁴³he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said—Son of God I am;’ ⁴⁴with the same also the robbers, who were crucified with him, were reproaching him. ⁴⁵And from the sixth hour darkness came over all the land unto the ninth hour, ⁴⁶and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?’ ⁴⁷And certain of those standing there having heard, said—‘Elijah he doth call;’ ⁴⁸and immediately, one of them having run, and having taken a spunge, having filled it with vinegar, and having put it on a reed, was giving him to drink, ⁴⁹but the rest said, ‘Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come—about to save him.’

⁵⁰And Jesus having again cried with a great voice, yielded the spirit;