¶ When the morning was come, all the chief priests and seniors of the people held a counsel against Iesu, to put him to death, and brought him bound and delivered him unto Pontius Pilate the deputy.
¶ Then when Iudas which betrayed him, saw that he was condemned, he repented himself, and brought again the xxx. plates of silver to the chief priests and seniors saying: I have sinned betraying the innocent blood. And they said: what is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the silver plates in the temple, and departed, and went and hung himself.
¶ The chief priests took the silver plates and said: it is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them a potter's field to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field is called, the field of blood, until this day. Then was fulfilled, that which was spoken by Ieremy the prophet, saying: and they took xxx. silver plates, the value of him that was priced, whom they bought of the children of Israhel, and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
¶ Iesus stood before the deputy: and the deputy asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the jews? Iesus said unto him: Thou sayest. When he was accused of the chief priests and seniors, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him: hearest thou not how many things they lay against thee? and he answered him to never a word: in so much that the deputy marvelled very sore.
¶ At that feast, the deputy was wont to deliver unto the people a prisoner whom they would choose. He had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas. And when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them: whether will ye that I give loose unto you, Barabbas, or Iesus which is called Christ? For he knew well, that for envy they had delivered him.
¶ When he was set down to give judgement, his wife sent to him, saying: have thou nothing to do with that just man, I have suffered many things this day in my sleep about him.
¶ The chief priests and the seniors had persuaded the people, that they should ask Barabbas, and should destroy Iesus. The deputy answered and said unto them: whether of the twain will ye that I let loose unto you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them: what shall I do then with Iesus, which is called Christ? They all said to him: let him be crucified. Then said the deputy: what evil hath he done? And they cried the more saying: let him be crucified.
¶ When Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but that more business was made, he took water and washed his hands before the people saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just person, and that ye shall see. Then answered all the people, and said: his blood fall on us, and on our children. Then let he Barabbas loose unto them, and scourged Iesus, and delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the deputy took Iesus unto the common hall, and gathered unto him all the company. And they stripped him, and put on him a purple robe, and plaited a crown of thorns and put upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowed their knees before him, saying: hail king of the jews, and spitted upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.
¶ And when they had mocked him, they took the robe off him again, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyren, named Simon: him they compelled to bear his cross. And came unto the place, which is called Golgotha (that is to say a place of dead men's skulls) they gave him vinegar to drink mixt with gall. And when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
¶ When they had crucified him, they parted his garments, and did cast lots. To fulfil that was spoken by the prophet: They divided my garments among them: and upon my vesture have cast lots. And they sat and watched him there. And they set up over his head the cause of his death written: This is Iesus the king of the jews. And there were two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left hand.
¶ They that passed by, reviled him wagging their heads and saying: Thou that destroyest the temple of God, and buildest it in three days save thyself. If thou be the son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the prelates mocking him with the scribes and seniors said: He saved other, himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israhell: let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let God deliver him now if he will have him, for he said, I am the son of God. That same also the thieves, which were crucified with him cast in his teeth.
¶ From the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Iesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli Eli lama sabathani. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that said: This man calleth for Helias. And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. Other said let be, let us see whether Helias will come and deliver him. Iesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up the ghost.
¶ And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the stones did rent, and graves did open, and the bodies of many saints which slept, arose: and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and came into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
¶ When the petty captain, and they that were with him watching Iesus, saw the earthquake and those things which happened, they feared greatly saying, Of a surety this was the son of God.
¶ And many women were there, beholding him afar off, which followed Iesus from Galile, ministering unto him: among the which was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Iames and the mother of Ioses, and the mother of Zebede's children.
¶ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathia named Ioseph, which same also was Iesus' disciple. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Iesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And Ioseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and put it in his new tomb, which he had hewn out even in the rock, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.
¶ The next day that followeth good friday, the high priests and pharises got themselves to Pilate, and said: Sir, we remember, that this deceiver said while he was yet alive. After three days I will arise again, command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest peradventure his disciples come, and steal him away, and say unto the people, he is risen from death: And then the last error shall be worse than the first was. Pilate said unto them: Take watchmen: Go and make it as sure as ye can. They went and made the sepulchre sure with watchmen, and sealed the stone.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526