Matthew 27:4-24

4“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!”

5So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

6The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.”

7They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners.

8Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day.

9Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites,

10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.

11Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him. Jesus answered, “You say so.”

12While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.

13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?”

14But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.

15At the festival the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted.

16At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you — Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

18For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.

19While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”

20The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus.

21The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” “Barabbas!” they answered.

22Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all answered, “Crucify him!”

23Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!”

24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”