Matthew

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

1When morning came, all the chief priests and the leaders of the people made a plan against Jesus to have him put to death.

2And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

2They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman governor.

3Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

3Judas, who had handed Jesus over, saw that Jesus was condemned. He was full of regret, so he brought the thirty silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders.

4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

4He said, "I have sinned. I handed over an innocent man to die." They said, "What is that to us? That is your problem."

5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

5So Judas threw the silver coins down in the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

6And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "Our law does not allow us to put this in the temple money. It is the price of a man's blood."

7And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

7So they talked it over and used the money to buy the potter's field, as a burial place for foreigners.

8Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

8That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood today.

9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

9This made true what the prophet Jeremiah had said: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price the people of Israel set on him,

10And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

10and they used them to buy the potter's field, just as the Lord told me."

11And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

11Jesus stood in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "You have said it."

12And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

12When the chief priests and leaders accused him, he did not answer them at all.

13Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

13Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear all the things they are saying against you?"

14And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

14But Jesus did not answer even one charge. This amazed the governor very much.

15Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

15At the yearly feast, the governor had a custom. He would set free one prisoner that the crowd chose.

16And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

16At that time they were holding a well-known prisoner named Barabbas.

17Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"

18For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

18He knew they had handed Jesus over because they were jealous of him.

19When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

19While Pilate was sitting in the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. "Leave that good man alone. I had a dream about him today, and it troubled me terribly."

20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

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

21The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

21The governor asked them, "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" They said, "Barabbas."

22Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

22Pilate said, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Nail him to a cross!"

23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

23The governor said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they shouted even louder, "Nail him to a cross!"

24When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

24Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was starting. So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am not guilty of this good man's blood," he said. "It is on you."

25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

26Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

26So Pilate set Barabbas free. He had Jesus beaten with a whip, then handed him over to be nailed to a cross.

27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace hall and gathered the whole group of soldiers around him.

28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

28They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him.

29And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

29They twisted thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and made fun of him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

30And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

30They spit on him. They took the stick and hit him on the head with it.

31And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

31When they were done making fun of him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.

32And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

32On the way out they found a man from Cyrene named Simon. They forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

33And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means "the place of a skull."

34They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

34There they offered him wine mixed with a bitter drug. He tasted it but would not drink it.

NoteThe drink was cheap sour wine mixed with something bitter. It was sometimes given to dull the pain of a person being put to death.

35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

35They nailed him to the cross. Then they split up his clothes among themselves by drawing lots, as the prophet had said: "They divided my clothes among them, and they drew lots for my robe."

36And sitting down they watched him there;

36Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

37Above his head they put up a sign with the charge against him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

38Two robbers were nailed to crosses with him, one on his right and one on his left.

39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

39People walking by shouted insults at him and shook their heads.

40And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

40They said, "You were going to tear down the temple and build it in three days! Save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

41Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

41The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said,

42He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

42"He saved other people, but he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe him.

43He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

43He trusted God. Let God rescue him now, if God wants him. He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

44Even the robbers who were nailed up beside him said the same insults to him.

NoteThe King James Version says the robbers "cast the same in his teeth." That was an old way of saying they threw the same insults at him.

45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

45From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covered the whole land.

NoteThe King James Version counts hours from sunrise, so the "sixth hour" is about noon and the "ninth hour" is about three in the afternoon.

46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

46About three in the afternoon Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That means, "My God, my God, why have you left me?"

47Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

47Some people standing there heard this and said, "He is calling for Elijah."

48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

48One of them ran at once and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and held it up for Jesus to drink.

49The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

49The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

50Jesus called out again in a loud voice, and then he died.

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

51Just then the curtain in the temple tore in two, from top to bottom. The ground shook and the rocks split open.

NoteThe King James Version calls it the "veil" of the temple. It was a heavy curtain hung across the innermost room.

52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

52Graves opened, and the bodies of many of God's people who had died were raised to life.

53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

53After Jesus rose from the dead, they came out of the graves. They went into the holy city, Jerusalem, and many people saw them.

54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

54The Roman officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that happened. They were terrified and said, "This really was the Son of God."

55And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

55Many women were there too, watching from far off. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and taken care of him.

56Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

57When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

57When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph arrived. He was a follower of Jesus.

58He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate gave the order for the body to be handed over.

59And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

59Joseph 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 a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

60He laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of rock. He rolled a large stone across the doorway and went away.

61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.

62Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

62The next day, the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees went together to Pilate.

63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

63They said, "Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive, he said, 'After three days I will rise again.'

64Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

64So give the order to guard the tomb until the third day. If you don't, his followers may steal the body and tell people he has risen from the dead. That lie would be worse than the first one."

65Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

65Pilate said to them, "You have soldiers. Go and make the tomb as safe as you know how."

66So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

66So they went and made the tomb secure. They sealed the stone and left soldiers on guard.