the Fourth Week of Advent
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Etheridge Translation
Matthew 27
1 BUT when it was morning, the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jeshu, how they should put him to death.2 And they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him to Pilatos the governor.3 Then Jihuda the traitor, when he saw that Jeshu was condemned, repented him, and went hastily, and returned those thirty of silver unto the chief priests and elders,4 and said, I have sinned, for I have betrayed the innocent blood. But they said to him, To us ? what to us ? Thou knowest,-thou !5 And he cast down the silver in the temple, and passed away, and went and strangled himself.6 But the chief priests took up the silver, and said, It is not lawful that we throw it into the place of offering, because it is the price of blood.7 And they took counsel, and bought with it the field of the potter, for the burial-place of strangers.8 Wherefore that field has been called, The field of blood, until this day.9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet, who said, And I took the thirty (pieces) of silver, the price of him who was precious, whom the sons of Isroel bargained for;10 and gave them for the field of the potter, as the Lord commanded me.
11 But Jeshu himself stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, and said to him, Thou art the king of the Jihudoyee ? Jeshu said to him, Thou hast said.12 And while the chief priests and elders were accusing him, he returned not a word.13 Then said Pilatos unto him, Hearest thou not what they witness against thee?14 But he gave him no answer, no, not in one word; and upon this (Pilate) marvelled greatly.15 Now at every festival the governor was accustomed to release one of the bound unto the people, whomsoever they would.16 But there was (then) bound a notorious prisoner who was called Bar-aba.17 And when they were assembled, Pilatos said to them, Whom will you that I release unto you, Bar-aba, or Jeshu who is called the Meshicha ?18 For Pilatos knew that from malice they had delivered him.19 But while the governor sat upon his tribunal, his wife sent to him saying, Let there be nothing between thee and that Just One; for much have I suffered in a dream to-day on his account.20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that he should release to them Bar-aba, that they might destroy Jeshu.21 And the governor answered and said to them, Whom will you that I shall release to you of these two? Then they said, Bar-aba.22 Pilatos saith to them, And to Jeshu who is called the Meshicha, what shall I do with him ? They all said, Let him be crucified.23 Pilatos saith to them, Why, what evil hath he done ? But they clamoured the more, and said, Let him be crucified !24 Then Pilatos, when he saw that nothing availed, but that the tumult became greater, took waters (and) washed his hands before [fn] the assembly, and said, I am expiated from the blood of this Just One. You shall know. 25 And all the people answered and said, His blood upon us, and upon our children !
26 THEN he released to them Bar-aba; and scourged Jeshu with thongs, and delivered him to be crucified.27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jeshu to the Praetorium, and the whole cohort gathered against him.28 And they stripped him, and invested him with a cloak of crimson.29 And they interwove a crown of thorns, and set it upon his head, and a cane in his right hand: and they kneeled upon their knees before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the Jihudoyee !30 And they did spit in his face, and took the cane, and struck him upon his head.31 And when they had derided him, they stripped him of the cloak, and clothed him with his own garments, and led him away to be crucified.32 And when they had gone forth, they found a Kurinean man whose name was Shemun: this (man) they compel to carry his cross.
33 And they came to a place which is called Gogultho, which is expounded, The skull.34 And they gave him to drink vinegar mingled with gall: and he tasted, but was not willing to drink.35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments by lot: that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.36 And they sat down and watched him there.37 And they placed over his head the occasion of his death, in the writing, This (is) Jeshu, the King of the Jihudoyee.38 AND they crucified with him two thieves, one on his right hand, and one on his left.39 But they who passed by railed against him, moving their heads,40 and saying, Destroyer of the temple, and builder of it in three days ! deliver thyself, if thou art the Son of Aloha, and come down from the cross.41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders and Pharishee, saying,42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Isroel, let him now descend from the cross, that we may see and believe in him.43 He trusted upon Aloha; let him liberate him now, if he delighteth i [fn] him; for he said, I am the Son of Aloha. 44 Likewise also the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him.45 BUT from the sixth hour [fn] there was darkness upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jeshu cried with a high voice, Aloha ! Aloha ! why hast thou forsaken me ? [fn] 47 But certain of them who stood there, when they heard, said, This hath cried unto Ilio.48 And forthwith ran one from them, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and set it upon a cane, and gave him to drink.49 But the rest said, Let alone, we will see whether Ilio (will) come to deliver him.
50 But he, Jeshu, again cried with a high voice, and dismissed his spirit.51 And at once the veil [fn] of the temple was rent in twain from above to beneath; and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were riven. 52 And the house of the buried was opened; and the bodies of many of the saints who had been asleep arose,53 and came forth, and after his resurrection went into the holy city, and were seen by many.54 But the centurion and those with him, who guarded Jeshu, when they saw the commotion and those (portents) which took place, feared greatly, and said, Assuredly this was the Son of Aloha.55 (And) many women were there, beholding from afar; those who had come after Jeshu from Galila, and had ministered unto him.56 One of them was Mariam Magdolitha, and Mariam the mother of Jakub and of Josi, and the mother of the sons of Zabdai.
57 BUT when it was evening, there came a rich man from Rometha, whose name was Jauseph, who himself also was a disciple of Jeshu.58 This went unto Pilatos, and begged the body of Jeshu. And Pilatos commanded that the body should be given to him.59 And Jauseph took the body, and wound it round in a cloth of pure linen,60 and laid it in a new house of burial of his own, which was hewn out in the rock. And they rolled a great stone, and heaved it against the door of the sepulchre, and went.61 Now there were there Mariam Magdolitha and the other Mariam, who were sitting over against the sepulchre.62 BUT the day which was next after the preparation, the chief priests and Pharishee came together unto Pilatos,63 saying to him, Our lord, we remember that that impostor said while alive, That after three days I will arise.64 Command therefore that they watch the sepulchre till (after) the third of the days; lest his disciples come, and steal him away by night, and tell the people that from the house of the dead he has risen, and the last delusion be worse than the first.65 Pilatos saith to them, Ye have guards; go, watch diligently, as ye know how.66 So they went, and set a watch (about) the sepulchre, and sealed the stone along with the guards.