Matthew 27 – NIRV & NIVUK

New International Reader’s Version

Matthew 27:1-66

Judas Hangs Himself

1It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people planned how to put Jesus to death. 2So they 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 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.” (Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1–13; 32:6–9)

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. You have said so,” 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 Jesus Barabbas. 17So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free? Jesus Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18Pilate knew that the leaders wanted to get their own way. 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 the Messiah?” 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, “Put the blame for his death on us and our children!”

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

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

27The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him. 28They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him. 29Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. “We honor you, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again. 31After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

32On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means the Place of the Skull. 34There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36They sat down and kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read,

This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

38Two rebels against Rome were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left. 39Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads 40and said, “So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him. 42“He saved others,” they said. “But he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He’s the one who said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way the rebels who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.

Jesus Dies

45From noon until three o’clock, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46About three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1)

47Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”

48Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.

51At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. 52Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised from the dead, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.

54The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, “He was surely the Son of God!”

55Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. 56Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Is Buried

57As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.

The Guards at the Tomb

62The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63“Sir,” they said, “we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don’t, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first.”

65“Take some guards with you,” Pilate answered. “Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a royal seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.

New International Version – UK

Matthew 27:1-66

Judas hangs himself

1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’

‘What is that to us?’ they replied. ‘That’s your responsibility.’

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

6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, ‘It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’27:10 See Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9.

Jesus before Pilate

11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’

‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.

12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.

15Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus27:16 Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17. Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ 18For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’

20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

21‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ asked the governor.

‘Barabbas,’ they answered.

22‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked.

They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’

23‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’

25All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’

26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers mock Jesus

27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers round him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. 30They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The crucifixion of Jesus

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him:

this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’ 41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.” ’ 44In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The death of Jesus

45From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli,27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).27:46 Psalm 22:1

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ‘He’s calling Elijah.’

48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’

55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The burial of Jesus

57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The guard at the tomb

62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’

65‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.