¹ At daybreak all the chief priests and the councillors of the nation consulted together against Jesus, to bring about his death.

² They put him in chains and led him away, and gave him up to the Roman Governor, Pilate.

³ Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that Jesus was condemned, repented of what he had done, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and councillors.

⁴ “I did wrong in betraying a good man to his death,” he said. “What has that to do with us?” they replied. “You must see to that yourself.”

⁵ Judas flung down the pieces of silver in the Temple, and left; and went away and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests took the pieces of silver, but they said: “We must not put them into the Temple treasury, because they are blood-money.”

⁷ So, after consultation, they bought with them the ‘Potter’s Field’ for a burial-ground for foreigners;

⁸ and that is why that field is called the ‘Field of Blood’ to this very day.

⁹ Then it was that these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled — ‘They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was valued, whom some of the people of Israel valued,

¹⁰ and gave them for the Potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus was brought before the Roman Governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked the Governor. “It is true,” answered Jesus.

¹² While charges were being brought against him by the chief priests and councillors, Jesus made no reply.

¹³ Then Pilate said to him: “Do not you hear how many accusations they are making against you?”

¹⁴ Yet Jesus made no reply — not even a single word; at which the Governor was greatly astonished.

¹⁵ Now, at the feast, the Governor was accustomed to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might choose.

¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

¹⁷ So, when the people had collected, Pilate said to them: “Which do you wish me to release for you? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called ‘Christ’?”

¹⁸ For he knew that it was out of jealousy that they had given Jesus up to him.

¹⁹ While he was still on the Bench, his wife sent this message to him — “Do not have anything to do with that good man, for I have been very unhappy today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the councillors persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to kill Jesus.

²¹ The Governor, however, said to them: “Which of these two do you wish me to release for you?” “Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What then,” Pilate asked, “should I do with Jesus who is called ‘Christ?’ “Let him be crucified,” they all replied.

²³ “Why, what harm has he done?” he asked. But they kept shouting furiously: “Let him be crucified!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that his efforts were unavailing, but that, on the contrary, a riot was beginning, he took some water, and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying as he did so: “I am not answerable for this bloodshed; you must see to it yourselves.”

²⁵ And all the people answered: “His blood be on our heads and on our children’s!”

²⁶ The Pilate released Barabbas to them; but Jesus he scourged, and gave him up to be crucified.

²⁷ After that, the Governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Government house, and gathered the whole garrison round him.

²⁸ They stripped him, and put on him a red military cloak,

²⁹ and having twisted some thorns into a crown, put it on his head, and a rod in his right hand, and then, going down on their knees before him, they mocked him. “Long life to you, king of the Jews!” they said.

³⁰ They spat at him and, taking the rod, kept striking him on the head;

³¹ and, when they had left off mocking him, they took off the military cloak, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified.

³² As they were on their way out, they came upon a man from Cyrene of the name of Simon; and they compelled him to go with them to carry the cross.

³³ On reaching a place named Golgotha (a place named from its likeness to a skull),

³⁴ they gave him some wine to drink which had been mixed with gall; but after tasting it, Jesus refused to drink it.

³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among them by casting lots.

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

³⁷ Above his head they fixed the accusation against him written out — ‘THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.’

³⁸ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right, the other on the left.

³⁹ The passers-by railed at him, shaking their heads as they said:

⁴⁰ “You who ‘destroy the Temple and build one in three days,’ save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!”

⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, with the Teaches of the law and councillors, said in mockery:

⁴² “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the ‘king of Israel’! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

⁴³ He has trusted in God; if God wants him, let him deliver him now; for he said ‘I am God’s Son.’”

⁴⁴ Even the robbers, who were crucified with him, insulted him in the same way.

⁴⁵ After midday a darkness came over all the country, lasting until three in the afternoon.

⁴⁶ About three Jesus called out loudly: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabacthani” — that is to say, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

⁴⁷ Some of those standing by heard this, and said: “The man is calling for Elijah!”

⁴⁸ One of them immediately ran and took a sponge, and, filling it with common wine, put it on the end of a rod, and offered it to him to drink.

⁴⁹ But the rest said: “Wait and let us see if Elijah is coming to save him.”

⁵⁰ But Jesus, uttering another loud cry, gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ Suddenly the Temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks were torn asunder,

⁵² the tombs opened, and the bodies of many of God’s people who had fallen asleep rose,

⁵³ and they, leaving their tombs, went, after the resurrection of Jesus, into the Holy City, and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ The Roman captain, and the men with him who were watching Jesus, on seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, became greatly frightened and exclaimed: “This must indeed have been God’s Son!”

⁵⁵ There were many women there, watching from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had been attending on him.

⁵⁶ Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

⁵⁷ When evening had fallen, there came a rich man belonging to Ramah, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.

⁵⁸ He went to see Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered it to be given him.

⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen sheet,

⁶⁰ and laid it in his newly made tomb which he had cut in the rock; and, before he left, he rolled a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.

⁶¹ Mary of Magdala and the other Mary remained behind, sitting in front of the grave.

⁶² The next day — that is, the day following the Preparation-day — the chief priests and Pharisees came in a body to Pilate, and said:

⁶³ “Sir, we remember that, during his lifetime, that impostor said ‘I will rise after three days.’