Bible in Basic English
And he said, Why, what evil has he done? But they gave loud cries, saying, To the cross with him!
So when Pilate saw that he was able to do nothing, but that trouble was working up, he took water and, washing his hands before the people, said, The blood of this upright man is not on my hands: you are responsible.
And all the people made answer and said, Let his blood be on us, and on our children.
Then he let Barabbas go free: but after having Jesus whipped, he gave him up to be put to death on the cross.
Then the ruler's armed men took Jesus into the open square, and got all their band together.
And they took off his clothing, and put on him a red robe.
And they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and put a rod in his right hand, and they went down on their knees before him, and made sport of him, saying, Long life to the King of the Jews.
And they put shame on him, and gave him blows on the head with the rod.
And when they had made sport of him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothing on him, and took him away to put him on the cross.
And while they were coming out, they saw a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they made him go with them, so that he might take up his cross.
And when they came to the place named Golgotha, that is to say, Dead Man's Head,
They gave him wine mixed with bitter drink: and after tasting it, he took no more.
And when they had put him on the cross, they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.
And they were seated there watching him.
And they put up over his head the statement of his crime in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then two thieves were put on crosses with him, one on the right and one on the left.
And those who went by said bitter words to him, shaking their heads and saying,
You who would give the Temple to destruction and put it up again in three days, get yourself free: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
In the same way, the chief priests, making sport of him, with the scribes and those in authority, said,
A saviour of others, he has no salvation for himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will have faith in him.
He put his faith in God; let God be his saviour now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God.
And the thieves who were on the crosses said evil words to him.
Now from the sixth hour it was dark over all the land till the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus gave a loud cry, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why are you turned away from me?
And some of those who were near by, hearing it, said, This man is crying to Elijah.
And straight away one of them went quickly, and took a sponge, and made it full of bitter wine, and put it on a rod and gave him drink.
And the rest said, Let him be; let us see if Elijah will come to his help.
And Jesus gave another loud cry, and gave up his spirit.
And the curtain of the Temple was parted in two from end to end; and there was an earth-shock; and the rocks were broken;
And the resting-places of the dead came open; and the bodies of a number of sleeping saints came to life;
And coming out of their resting-places, after he had come again from the dead, they went into the holy town and were seen by a number of people.
Now the captain and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earth-shock and the things which were done, were in great fear and said, Truly this was a son of God.
And a number of women were there, watching from a distance, who had come with Jesus from Galilee, waiting on his needs.
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
And in the evening, there came a man of wealth from Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who was a disciple of Jesus:
This man went in to Pilate, and made a request for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate gave orders for it to be given to him.
And Joseph took the body, folding it in clean linen,
And put it in the resting-place which had been cut out of the rock for himself; and after rolling a great stone to the door of it he went away.
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, seated by the place of the dead.
Now on the day after the getting ready of the Passover, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate,
Saying, Sir, we have in mind how that false man said, while he was still living, After three days I will come again from the dead.
Give orders, then, that the place where his body is may be made safe till the third day, for fear that his disciples come and take him away secretly and say to the people, He has come back from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.
Pilate said to them, You have watchmen; go and make it as safe as you are able.
So they went, and made safe the place where his body was, putting a stamp on the stone, and the watchmen were with them.
— Matthew 27:23-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified. And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children. Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band. And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the reed and struck his head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him and put on him his own garments and led him away to crucify him. And going out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his cross. And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink. And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. And they sat and watched him. And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand and one on the left. And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, And saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking said: He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross: and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let him now deliver him if he will have him. For he said: I am the Son of God. And the selfsame thing the thieves also that were crucified with him reproached him with. Now from the sixth hour, there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? That is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some that stood there and heard said: This man calleth Elias. And immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink. And the others said: Let be. Let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom: and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent. And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God. And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth: And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, Saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people: He is risen from the dead. And the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate saith to them: You have a guard. Go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting guards. ”
Now the chief priests and those in authority got the people to make request for Barabbas, and for Jesus to be put to death.
But the ruler made answer and said to them, Which of the two is it your pleasure that I let go free? And they said, Barabbas.
Pilate says to them, What, then, am I to do with Jesus, who is named Christ? They all say, Let him be put to death on the cross.
And he said, Why, what evil has he done? But they gave loud cries, saying, To the cross with him!
So when Pilate saw that he was able to do nothing, but that trouble was working up, he took water and, washing his hands before the people, said, The blood of this upright man is not on my hands: you are responsible.
And all the people made answer and said, Let his blood be on us, and on our children.
Then he let Barabbas go free: but after having Jesus whipped, he gave him up to be put to death on the cross.
Then the ruler's armed men took Jesus into the open square, and got all their band together.
And they took off his clothing, and put on him a red robe.
And they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and put a rod in his right hand, and they went down on their knees before him, and made sport of him, saying, Long life to the King of the Jews.
And they put shame on him, and gave him blows on the head with the rod.
And when they had made sport of him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothing on him, and took him away to put him on the cross.
And while they were coming out, they saw a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they made him go with them, so that he might take up his cross.
And when they came to the place named Golgotha, that is to say, Dead Man's Head,
They gave him wine mixed with bitter drink: and after tasting it, he took no more.
And when they had put him on the cross, they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.
And they were seated there watching him.
And they put up over his head the statement of his crime in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then two thieves were put on crosses with him, one on the right and one on the left.
And those who went by said bitter words to him, shaking their heads and saying,
You who would give the Temple to destruction and put it up again in three days, get yourself free: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
In the same way, the chief priests, making sport of him, with the scribes and those in authority, said,
A saviour of others, he has no salvation for himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will have faith in him.
He put his faith in God; let God be his saviour now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God.
And the thieves who were on the crosses said evil words to him.
Now from the sixth hour it was dark over all the land till the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus gave a loud cry, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why are you turned away from me?
And some of those who were near by, hearing it, said, This man is crying to Elijah.
And straight away one of them went quickly, and took a sponge, and made it full of bitter wine, and put it on a rod and gave him drink.
And the rest said, Let him be; let us see if Elijah will come to his help.
And Jesus gave another loud cry, and gave up his spirit.
And the curtain of the Temple was parted in two from end to end; and there was an earth-shock; and the rocks were broken;
And the resting-places of the dead came open; and the bodies of a number of sleeping saints came to life;
And coming out of their resting-places, after he had come again from the dead, they went into the holy town and were seen by a number of people.
Now the captain and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earth-shock and the things which were done, were in great fear and said, Truly this was a son of God.
And a number of women were there, watching from a distance, who had come with Jesus from Galilee, waiting on his needs.
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
And in the evening, there came a man of wealth from Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who was a disciple of Jesus:
This man went in to Pilate, and made a request for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate gave orders for it to be given to him.
And Joseph took the body, folding it in clean linen,
And put it in the resting-place which had been cut out of the rock for himself; and after rolling a great stone to the door of it he went away.
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, seated by the place of the dead.
Now on the day after the getting ready of the Passover, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate,
Saying, Sir, we have in mind how that false man said, while he was still living, After three days I will come again from the dead.
Give orders, then, that the place where his body is may be made safe till the third day, for fear that his disciples come and take him away secretly and say to the people, He has come back from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.
Pilate said to them, You have watchmen; go and make it as safe as you are able.
So they went, and made safe the place where his body was, putting a stamp on the stone, and the watchmen were with them.