Matthew 27:11-45

English Standard Version

Jesus Before Pilate

^11 (A)Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you ^(B)the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, ^(C)“You have said so.” ^12 (D)But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, ^(E)“Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” ¹⁴ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

^15 (F)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or ^(G)Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that it was out ^(H)of envy that they had delivered him up. ¹⁹ Besides, while he was sitting on ^(I)the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with ^(J)that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today ^(K)in a dream.” ²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ^(L)ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” ^(M)They all said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ And he said, “Why? ^(N)What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that ^(O)a riot was beginning, he took water and ^(P)washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of ^(Q)this man's blood;^{[a] (R)}see to it yourselves.” ²⁵ And all the people answered, ^(S)“His blood be on us and ^(T)on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having ^(U)scourged^[b] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

^27 (V)Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the ^(W)governor's headquarters,^[c] and they gathered the whole ^(X)battalion^[d] before him. ²⁸ And they stripped him and put ^(Y)a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they ^(Z)mocked him, saying, “Hail, ^(AA)King of the Jews!” ³⁰ And ^(AB)they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and ^(AC)led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

^32 (AD)(AE)As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to ^(AF)carry his cross. ^33 (AG)And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ^34 (AH)they offered him wine to drink, mixed with ^(AI)gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, ^(AJ)they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and ^(AK)kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, ^(AL)the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ Then two ^(AM)robbers were crucified with him, ^(AN)one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And ^(AO)those who passed by ^(AP)derided him, ^(AQ)wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, ^(AR)“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! ^(AS)If you are ^(AT)the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ^42 (AU)“He saved others; ^(AV)he cannot save himself. ^(AW)He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ^43 (AX)He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ^44 (AY)And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour^[e] there was darkness over all the land^[f] until the ninth hour.^[g]