74 discovereth thee." Then he began to curse himself, and to swear, saying, "I know not the man." And imme75 diately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, who had said unto him, "Before the cock crow, thou wilt thrice deny me." And he went out, and wept bitterly.

CH. XXVII. Now when morning was come, all the chiefpriests and the elders of the people took counsel against* 2 Jesus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, who had delivered him up, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, repented, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief-priests and the el4 ders, saying, " I have sinned, in that I have delivered up innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? 5 see thou to that." And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and withdrew, and went and hang6 ed himself. And the chief-priests took the pieces of silver, and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the 7 treasury; because it is the price of blood." And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, 8 to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field hath been 9 called The field of blood, unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet [Jeremiaht], saying, " And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was valued, whom they of the sons 10 of Israel valued; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commandeth me.")

11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, "Art thou the King of the Jews?"

about, N.

+ The quotation is from Zech. xi. 12, 13. The word Jeremiah was probably inserted in the text through the mistake of some early transcriber. Matthew often omits the name of the prophet whose words he quotes..........Bp. Pearce.

12 And Jesus said unto him, "Thou sayest truly." And

when he was accused by the chief-priests and the elders, 13 he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith unto him,

"Hearest thou not how many things they witness against 14 thee?" But Jesus answered him to no one matter; so that the governor wondered greatly.

15 Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas*. 17 When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said

unto them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you; 18 Barabbast, or Jesus that is called Christ?" (For he knew 19 that through envy they had delivered him up and while he was sitting on the judgement-seat, his wife had sent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man: for I have suffered many things this day 20 in a dream because of him.") But the chief-priests and

the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask 21 for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. Then the governor

spake and said unto them, "Which of the two will yc that I release unto you?" And they said, "Barabbas.” 22 Pilate saith unto them, "What then shall I do to Jesus, that is called Christ?" They all say [unto him], "Let 23 him be crucified." And the governor said, "Why, what

evil hath he done?" But they cried out exceedingly, say24 ing, "Let him be crucified." Now when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a disturbance was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood 25 of this righteous man: see ye to it." And all the people

* Some very ancient authorities, cited by Origen, read " Jesus the son of Abbas ;" which M ́chaelis says is undoubtedly the original reading. See Griesbach and Marsh's Mich. v. i. p. 316, 516. The word "Jesus" was omitted in later copies in honour to the name.

Or, Jesus the son of Abbas. See the preceding note.

answered, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our 26 children." Then he released Barabbas unto them: and, when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him up to be crucified.

27

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus with them into the judgement-hall, and gathered unto him the whole 28 band. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet 29 robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns*, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand : and they kneeled down before him, and derided him, 30 saying, "Hail, King of the Jews." And they spat on

him; and took the reed, and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had derided him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.

32

And as they were coming out, they met with a Cyrenian, named Simon; whom they compelled to carry his 33 cross. And when they were come to a place called Gol34 gotha, which signifieth a place of skulls, they gave him

vinegar to drink, mingled with gall: and when he had 35 tasted of it he would not drink. And when they had

crucified him, they parted among them his garments, 36 casting lots †. And, sitting down, they watched him 37 there. And they set up over his head his accusation 38 written, THIS IS JESUS, the King of THE JEWS. At the same time two robbers were crucified with him: one on his right hand, and another on his left.

39

And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their 40 heads, and saying, "Thou who destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be

• More probably of acanthus, or bearsfoot. The design was to insult, not to torture. See Bp. Pearce.

+ The received text adds, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 'They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they `cast lots,”” This clause is omitted in the Alex. Vat. and Ephr. and many other valuable mann seripts, and in most of the ancient versions. It was, probably, a marginal note.

41 the son of God, come down from the cross." In like

manner the chief-priests also, and the scribes and elders 42 derided him, and said, "He saved others; cannot he

save himself? If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusted in God; let him now deliver him, if he will 44 have him for he said, 'I am the Son of God."" The robbers also, that were crucified with him, reproached him in the same manner.

45

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all 46 the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, my God, my God, 47 why hast thou forsaken me? Then some of those who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man calleth 48 for Elijah." And immediately one of them ran, and

took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it about 49 a reed, and gave him to drink. And the rest said, "Forbear let us see whether Elijah will come and save him." 50 Then Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, expired t.

51

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom and the earth quaked, and 52 the rocks were rent; and the sepulchres were opened; 53 and many bodies of saints who slept' arose and they came out of the sepulchres after the resurrection of Jesus, and entered into the holy city, and appeared to many.

54

55

Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and the things which had passed, they feared greatly; saying, "Truly this was a son of a god."

And many women were there, beholding at a distance ; who had also followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering

himself he cannot save. N.

† gave up his spirit, or breath; breathed his last. N.

the Son of God, N.

56 unto him: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and of Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57

Now when it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself also was a dis58 ciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate, and asked for

the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to 59 be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, 60 he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth; and laid it in his own new sepulchre, which he had hewn in a rock and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and 61 departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary; sitting over against the sepulchre.

62

Now on the morrow, which followeth the day of preparation, the chief-priests and the Pharisees came to63 gether unto Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember that this

deceiver said, while he was yet alive, 'Within three 64 days I will rise again.' Command therefore that the sepulchre be made secure till the third day; lest his disciples come [by night] and steal him away, and say to the people, "He is risen from the dead :' so the last 65 deceit will be worst than the first." Pilate said unto them, "Take a guard: depart, secure it as ye know." 66 So they went and secured the sepulchre; having sealed the stone, and set the guard.

CH XXVIII. But after the sabbath, as it began to dawn to

ward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, 2 and the other Mary, to view the sepulchre. And, lo, there had been a great earthquake*: for an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, and had come near and rolled back the stone from the door, and was sitting upon 3 itt. Now his appearance was as lightning, and his raiment 4 white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers trembled,

* a great disturbance had happened, W.

+ sitten on. N. See W.