Matthew 27:1-20

1Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Jesus.

2They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

3Then Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders.

4He said, “I’ve sinned by betraying an innocent man.” They replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”

5So he threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself.

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

7So they decided to use it to buy a potter’s field for the burial of strangers.

8That’s why that field has been called the Field of Blood ever since.

9Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true, “They took the 30 silver coins, the price the people of Israel had placed on him,

10and used the coins to buy a potter’s field, as the Lord had directed me.”

11Jesus stood in front of the governor, ⌞Pilate⌟. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.

12While the chief priests and leaders were accusing him, he said nothing.

13Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?”

14But Jesus said absolutely nothing to him in reply, so the governor was very surprised.

15At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner whom the crowd wanted.

16At that time there was a well-known prisoner by the name of Barabbas.

17So when the people gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to free for you? Do you want me to free Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?”

18Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

19While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Leave that innocent man alone. I’ve been very upset today because of a dream I had about him.”

20But the chief priests and leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.