English Bible Presentation Sharing - Matthew Book, chapter 27, verse 1 in Erven Version

Matthew 27 : 1 (ERVEN)

Early the next morning, all the leading priests and older leaders of the people met and decided to kill Jesus.

Matthew 27 : 2 (ERVEN)

They tied him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. (Acts 1:18-19)

Matthew 27 : 3 (ERVEN)

Judas saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. He was the one who had handed him over. When he saw what happened, he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the 30 silver coins back to the priests and the older leaders.

Matthew 27 : 4 (ERVEN)

Judas said, "I sinned. I handed over to you an innocent man to be killed." The Jewish leaders answered, "We don't care! That's a problem for you, not us."

Matthew 27 : 5 (ERVEN)

So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went out from there and hanged himself.

Matthew 27 : 6 (ERVEN)

The leading priests picked up the silver coins in the Temple. They said, "Our law does not allow us to keep this money with the Temple money, because this money has paid for a man's death."

Matthew 27 : 7 (ERVEN)

So they decided to use the money to buy a field called Potter's Field. This field would be a place to bury people who died while visiting in Jerusalem.

Matthew 27 : 8 (ERVEN)

That is why that field is still called the Field of Blood.

Matthew 27 : 9 (ERVEN)

This showed the full meaning of what Jeremiah the prophet said, "They took 30 silver coins. That was how much the people of Israel decided to pay for his life.

Matthew 27 : 10 (ERVEN)

They used those 30 silver coins to buy the potter's field, like the Lord commanded me."

Matthew 27 : 11 (ERVEN)

Jesus stood before Pilate the governor, who asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Yes, that's right."

Matthew 27 : 12 (ERVEN)

Then, when the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders made their accusations against Jesus, he said nothing.

Matthew 27 : 13 (ERVEN)

So Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear all these charges they are making against you? Why don't you answer?"

Matthew 27 : 14 (ERVEN)

But Jesus did not say anything, and this really surprised the governor.

Matthew 27 : 15 (ERVEN)

Every year at Passover time the governor would free one prisoner�whichever one the people wanted him to free.

Matthew 27 : 16 (ERVEN)

At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.

Matthew 27 : 17 (ERVEN)

When a crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, "I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?"

Matthew 27 : 18 (ERVEN)

Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him.

Matthew 27 : 19 (ERVEN)

While Pilate was sitting there in the place for judging, his wife sent a message to him. It said, "Don't do anything with that man. He is not guilty. Last night I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much."

Matthew 27 : 20 (ERVEN)

But the leading priests and older Jewish leaders told the people to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed.

Matthew 27 : 21 (ERVEN)

Pilate said, "I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which one do you want me to set free for you?" The people answered, "Barabbas!"

Matthew 27 : 22 (ERVEN)

Pilate asked, "So what should I do with Jesus, the one called the Christ?" All the people said, "Kill him on a cross!"

Matthew 27 : 23 (ERVEN)

Pilate asked, "Why do you want me to kill him? What wrong has he done?" But they shouted louder, "Kill him on a cross!"

Matthew 27 : 24 (ERVEN)

Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do to make the people change. In fact, it looked as if there would be a riot. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of them all. He said, "I am not guilty of this man's death. You are the ones who are doing it!"

Matthew 27 : 25 (ERVEN)

The people answered, "We will take full responsibility for his death. You can blame us and even our children!"

Matthew 27 : 26 (ERVEN)

Then Pilate set Barabbas free. And he told some soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he handed him over to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.

Matthew 27 : 27 (ERVEN)

Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace. All the soldiers gathered around him.

Matthew 27 : 28 (ERVEN)

They took off Jesus' clothes and put a red robe on him.

Matthew 27 : 29 (ERVEN)

Then they made a crown from thorny branches and put it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed before him, making fun of him. They said, "We salute you, king of the Jews!"

Matthew 27 : 30 (ERVEN)

They spit on him. Then they took his stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.

Matthew 27 : 31 (ERVEN)

After they finished making fun of him, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be killed on a cross.

Matthew 27 : 32 (ERVEN)

The soldiers were going out of the city with Jesus. They saw a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

Matthew 27 : 33 (ERVEN)

They came to the place called Golgotha. (Golgotha means "The Place of the Skull.")

Matthew 27 : 34 (ERVEN)

There the soldiers gave Jesus some wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it.

Matthew 27 : 35 (ERVEN)

The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Then they threw dice to divide his clothes between them.

Matthew 27 : 36 (ERVEN)

The soldiers stayed there to guard him.

Matthew 27 : 37 (ERVEN)

They put a sign above his head with the charge against him written on it: "this is jesus, the king of the jews."

Matthew 27 : 38 (ERVEN)

Two criminals were nailed to crosses beside Jesus�one on the right and the other on the left.

Matthew 27 : 39 (ERVEN)

People walked by and shouted insults at Jesus. They shook their heads

Matthew 27 : 40 (ERVEN)

and said, "You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that cross if you really are the Son of God!"

Matthew 27 : 41 (ERVEN)

The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders were also there. They made fun of Jesus the same as the other people did.

Matthew 27 : 42 (ERVEN)

They said, "He saved others, but he can't save himself! People say he is the king of Israel. If he is the king, he should come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him.

Matthew 27 : 43 (ERVEN)

He trusted God. So let God save him now, if God really wants him. He himself said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Matthew 27 : 44 (ERVEN)

And in the same way, the criminals on the crosses beside Jesus also insulted him.

Matthew 27 : 45 (ERVEN)

At noon the whole country became dark. The darkness continued for three hours.

Matthew 27 : 46 (ERVEN)

About three o'clock Jesus cried out loudly, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you left me alone?"

Matthew 27 : 47 (ERVEN)

Some of the people standing there heard this. They said, "He is calling Elijah."

Matthew 27 : 48 (ERVEN)

Quickly, one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled the sponge with sour wine and tied the sponge to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to get a drink from it.

Matthew 27 : 49 (ERVEN)

But the others said, "Don't bother him. We want to see if Elijah will come to save him."

Matthew 27 : 50 (ERVEN)

Again Jesus cried out loudly and then died.

Matthew 27 : 51 (ERVEN)

When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken.

Matthew 27 : 52 (ERVEN)

The graves opened, and many of God's people who had died were raised from death.

Matthew 27 : 53 (ERVEN)

They came out of the graves. And after Jesus was raised from death, they went into the holy city, and many people saw them.

Matthew 27 : 54 (ERVEN)

The army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything that happened. They were very afraid and said, "He really was the Son of God!"

Matthew 27 : 55 (ERVEN)

Many women were standing away from the cross, watching. These were the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for him.

Matthew 27 : 56 (ERVEN)

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.

Matthew 27 : 57 (ERVEN)

That evening a rich man named Joseph came to Jerusalem. He was a follower of Jesus from the town of Arimathea.

Matthew 27 : 58 (ERVEN)

He went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give Jesus' body to him.

Matthew 27 : 59 (ERVEN)

Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a new linen cloth.

Matthew 27 : 60 (ERVEN)

He put Jesus' body in a new tomb that he had dug in a wall of rock. Then he closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone to cover the entrance. After he did this, he went away.

Matthew 27 : 61 (ERVEN)

Mary Magdalene and the other woman named Mary were sitting near the tomb.

Matthew 27 : 62 (ERVEN)

That day was the day called Preparation day. The next day, the leading priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.

Matthew 27 : 63 (ERVEN)

They said, "Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, 'I will rise from death in three days.'

Matthew 27 : 64 (ERVEN)

So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before."

Matthew 27 : 65 (ERVEN)

Pilate said, "Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know."

Matthew 27 : 66 (ERVEN)

So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from thieves. They did this by sealing the stone in the entrance and putting soldiers there to guard it.