1 It was morning. The chief priests and those in authority conspired to put Jesus to death.

2 They tied his hands with cords and led him to the ruler, Pilate.

3 Judas, his betrayer, heard he was to be put to death. Out of regret, he took the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and those in authority.

4 He said: »I have done wrong in giving a righteous man to you.«

5 He left the silver in the Temple. Then he went away and hanged himself.

6 The chief priests took the silver. They said: »It is not right to put it in the Temple treasury, for it is the price of blood.«

7 They decided to use the silver to buy the potter’s field. This would be a place to bury strangers.

8 This is the reason the field was named »Field of Blood.«

9 Then Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled: »They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price he was valued by the children of Israel.

10 »Then they paid for the potter’s field, just as God directed.«

11 Jesus stood before the governor. He asked him: »Are you the King of the Jews?« Jesus said to him: »It is as you say.«

12 When the chief priests and those in authority made statements against him, he gave no answer.

13 Pilate said to him: »Do you give no attention to what their witnesses say against you?«

14 Jesus did not answer. Not even a word! The governor was greatly surprised.

15 It was a custom for the governor to set one prisoner free at the time of the feast. The people were to help choose that prisoner.

16 At that time they held an important prisoner named Barabbas.

17 When they assembled, Pilate asked: »What is your choice? Barabbas or Jesus, the one called the Christ?«

18 He knew it was because of envy they gave him up.

19 While he was seated in judgment his wife sent a message to him. She said, »Do not judge that righteous man. I have had much trouble this day in a dream because of him.«

20 The chief priests and elders got the people to request Barabbas, and for Jesus to be put to death.

21 The governor responded to them. He asked: »Which of the two do you want me to set free?« They shouted: »Barabbas!«

22 Pilate said to them: »What am I to do with Jesus, the one called Christ?« They all said: »Put him to death. Impale him!«

23 »What evil has he done?« Pilate asked. But they shouted: »Impale him!«

24 Pilate saw that he could do nothing. The people were ready to cause much trouble. He took water and washed his hands in front of the people. He said: »The blood of this man is not on my hands. You are responsible.«

25 The people answered: »Let his blood be on us, and on our children.«

26 He set Barabbas free. He had Jesus whipped. Then he commanded that he be put to death on the stake.

27 Then the palace guard took Jesus into the open square and gathered their squad together.

28 They took off his clothes and dressed him in a scarlet robe.

29 They made a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They placed a rod in his right hand. Then they bowed down on their knees before him. They mocked him, saying: »Long life to the King of the Jews.«

30 They spat on him and hit him on the head with the rod.

31 After they mocked him, they took off the robe. He was dressed in his garments and he was led away to be impaled.

32 They then found Simon, a man from Cyrene. They forced him to go with them to carry the stake.

33 Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, was to be his final destination.

34 They gave him vinegar bitter wine to drink mixed with poison a druggall. When he tasted it he would not drink. (Psalm 69:21)

35 When they impaled him, they divided his garments among themselves by casting lots.

36 Then they sat and watched him.

37 A sign was placed above his head with an accusation written: »This is Jesus the King of the Jews.«

38 Two robbers were impaled with him. One was on the right hand and one on the left.

39 People passing by spoke evil abuse to him. They wagged their heads

40 and said, »You who would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God come down from the stake.«

41 In like manner the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked him.

42 They said: »He saved others, but cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the stake and we will believe in him.«

43 He trusts in God. Let him save him now if he wants him. After all he said: »I am the Son of God.«

44 The robbers that were impaled with him also insulted him.

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

46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, »Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?« Which translated means: »My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?«

47 After hearing it some said this man calls Elijah.

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

49 The rest said: »Let it be, and see whether Elijah comes to save him.«

50 Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 The veil curtain of the temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks split.

52 The tombs were split open and many dead bodies were tossed upright on the ground.

53 They came out of the tombs after his resurrection.Manuscript text unclear. Many people saw them.

54 The centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus saw the earthquake. Filled with much fear of the things that were done, they proclaimed: »Truly, this was the Son of God!«

55 The women who followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to him watched from a distance.

56 Included among the women were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57 A disciple of Jesus named Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea,

58 went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate commanded that it be given to him.

59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.

60 He laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone in front of the door of the tomb, and departed.

61 Mary Magdalene was near the tomb. The other Mary was also there.

62 It was morning, the day after Preparation. The chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together with Pilate.

63 They said: »Sir, we remember while he was yet alive, the deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’«

64 »Command the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise his disciples could come and steal him away. They could say to the people. ‘He is risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.«

65 Pilate said to them: »You have a guard; make it as secure as you can.«

66 So they made the tomb secure. They sealed the stone and placed a guard there.