Surely this man was with Jesus the Nazarene. 72 And again he affirmed, with an oath, I do not 73 know the man. Soon after, those who were standing there came up and said to Peter, Truly you are one of them, for your speech be74 trays you. Then he began to call down curses on himself if he did not speak the truth, and to swear that he knew not the man. And imme75 diately a cock crew; and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him, Before a cock crows, you will deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly.

27 And in the morning, early, all the chief priests and the elders of the people consulted together how they might procure the death of 2 Jesus. And having bound him, they carried him before Pontius Pilate, the governor, to deliver him up to him.

11

And Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor questioned him, saying, Are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, 12 I am. And to the accusations of the chief 18 priests and elders he made no reply. Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear what they

Ch. xxvii. 1-26. Compare Mark xv. 1-15; Luke xxiii 1-25; John xviii. 28-40.

are testifying against you? And he did not re- 14 ply before him to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly astonished.

But at that festival it was customary for the 15 governor to release for the multitude a prisoner, whom they would. And there was at that time 16 a notorious prisoner, named Jesus Barabbas. The multitude then being assembled, Pilate said 17 to them, Whom will ye that I should release for you? Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah? - For he knew that Jesus 18 had been brought before him through the malice of his accusers. And while he was sitting on 19 the judgment-seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have this day suffered much in a dream on his account.

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded 20 the multitude to ask for Barabbas, and to demand that Jesus should be put to death. The 21 governor said to them, Which of the two will ye that I should release for you? They replied, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, What then shall 22 I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah? They all said, Let him be crucified. Then the 23 governor said, Why, what crime has he com

mitted? But they cried out the more, Let him 24 be crucified. Then Pilate, seeing that what he said availed nothing, but, on the contrary, that they were growing tumultuous, took water and washed his hands before them, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this innocent man. 25 Look ye to it. And all the people answered, 26 His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released Barabbas for them, and, having ordered Jesus to be scourged, delivered him to be crucified.

27

Then the soldiers of the governor carried Jesus with them into the Prætorium, and col28 lected round him their whole band; and having stripped him, they put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and platted a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, mocked him, saying, 20 Hail, king of the Jews! And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the 31 head. And after making sport of him, they took off the robe, and put on his own clothes, and carried him away to crucify him.

82

And as they were going out of the city, they

Verses 27-56. Compare Mark xv. 16-41; Luke xxiii. 26-49; John xix. 1-30.

i

found a man, a Cyrenæan, Simon by name, whom they compelled to carry his cross.

And when they had come to a place called 33 Golgotha, which means Place of the Skull, they 34 gave him vinegar mixed with bitter drugs to drink; and when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. And after nailing him to the cross, 35 they divided his clothing among them, casting lots; and sat down there to guard him. And over his head they placed in writing the charge against him: This is Jesus the King of the Jews. Moreover, two robbers were crucified with 38 him, one on his right hand, and one on his left. And the passers-by reviled him, nodding their 39 heads, and saying, Thou who canst destroy the 40 temple and build it in three days, save thyself! If thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross. So also, the chief priests, jesting with 41 the teachers of the Law and the elders, said, He saved others; cannot he save himself? If 42 he is the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He was confident that God was with him; let 43 God deliver him now, if He favors him; for he said, I am the Son of God. ner, even the robbers who him reviled him.

And, in like man- 44 were crucified with

45

But from the sixth hour there was darkness 46 over the whole country till the ninth. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli! Eli! lama sabachthani? that is, My God! my God! why hast thou for47 saken me?* Then some who were standing by, when they heard this, said, He is calling for 48 Elijah. And one of them immediately ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, Hold! let us see if Elijah 50 will come to save him. But Jesus, after crying out again with a loud voice, expired.

51 And lo! the veil of the sanctuary was rent asunder from the top to the bottom; and the 52 earth was shaken, and the rocks were cleft, and the tombs were opened.

54

And the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they witnessed the earthquake and what had taken place, were struck with terror, and said, Truly this was the Son of God.