Matthew 27
Wycliffe's Bible
1But when the morrowtide was come, all the princes of (the) priests, and the elder men of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they should take him to the death. (But when the morning was come, all the high priests, and the elders of the people made a plan against Jesus, how they would send him to death.) 2And they led him bound, and betook him to Pilate of Pontii, (the) [chief] justice, (or the president). (And they led him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the Governor.)

3Then Judas that betrayed him, saw, (or seeing), that he was condemned, he repented, and brought again the thirty pieces [of silver] to the princes of (the) priests, and to the elder men of the people (and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests, and to the elders of the people), 4and said, I have sinned, betraying rightful, (or just), blood. And they said, What (is it) to us? busy thee [see thou]. (and said, I have sinned, betraying righteous blood. And they said, What is that to us? it is thy concern.) 5And when he had cast forth the [pieces of] silver in the temple, he passed forth, and went, and hanged himself with a snare. 6And the princes of (the) priests took the [pieces of] silver, and said, It is not leaveful to put it into the treasury, for it is the price of blood. (And the high priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put it in the treasury, for it is the payment for blood.) 7And when they had taken counsel, they bought with it a field of a potter [they bought with them a field of a potter], into [the] burying of pilgrims. (And when they had made a plan, they bought a potter’s field with it, for the burying of visitors.) 8Therefore that field is called Aceldama, that is, a field of blood, into this day. 9Then that was fulfilled, that was said by the prophet Jeremy saying, And they have taken thirty pieces [of silver], the price of a man (ap)praised, whom they (ap)praised of the children of Israel; (Then that was fulfilled, that was said by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, And they have taken thirty pieces of silver, the appraised price of a man, whom they of the children of Israel appraised, or put a price upon;) 10and they gave them into a field of a potter (and they used it to buy a potter’s field), as the Lord hath ordained to me.

11And Jesus stood before the doomsman, (or the judge); and the justice, (or the president), asked him, and said, Art thou king of Jews? Jesus saith to him, Thou sayest. (And Jesus stood before the Governor; and the Governor asked him, and said, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus saith to him, Thou sayest it.) 12And when he was accused of the princes of (the) priests, and of the elder men of the people, he answered nothing. (And when he was accused by the high priests, and by the elders of the people, he answered nothing.) 13Then Pilate saith to him, Hearest thou not, how many things, (or how many witnessings, or how many testimonies), they say against thee? 14And he answered not to him any word, so that the justice, (or the president), wondered greatly. (And he did not answer any word to him, so that the Governor greatly wondered.)

15But for a solemn day the justice, (or the president), was wont to deliver to the people one bound, whom they would. (And on a Feast Day, or during a Festival, the Governor had a custom to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they wanted.) 16And he had then a famous man bound [Forsooth he had one famous man bound], that was said Barabbas. (And he had then a notorious prisoner, who was called Barabbas.) 17Therefore Pilate said to them, when they were [gathered] together, Whom will ye, that I deliver to you, (or I leave to you)? whether Barabbas, or Jesus, that is said Christ? (And so Pilate said to them, when they were gathered together, Whom do ye desire/Whom do ye want, that I release to you, or that I let go to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called the Messiah?) 18For he knew, that by envy they betrayed him, (or they betook him). (For he knew, that they had betrayed him, or they had delivered him, out of envy.)

19And while he sat for doomsman, (or for judge), his wife sent to him, and said, Nothing to thee and to that just man (Do not have anything to do with that innocent man); for I have suffered this day many things for him, by a vision. 20Forsooth the princes of (the) priests, and the elder men counseled the people (But the high priests, and the elders counseled the people), that they should ask (for) Barabbas, but (that) they should (seek to) destroy Jesus. 21But the justice, (or the president), answered, and said to them, Whom of the twain will ye, that be delivered, (or be let go), to you? And they said, Barabbas. (But the Governor answered, and said to them, Whom of the two do ye desire, to be released, or to be let go, to you? And they said, Barabbas.) 22 Pilate saith to them, What then shall I do of Jesus, that is said Christ? All they say, Be he crucified. (Pilate said to them, Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah? And they all cried, Crucify him!) 23The justice, (or The president), saith to them (The Governor said to them), What evil hath he done? And they cried more, and said, Be he crucified.

24And Pilate seeing that he profited nothing, but that the more noise was made (but that only a greater commotion was made), he took water, and washed his hands before the people, and said, I am guiltless of the blood of this rightful man; busy you (let it be your concern). [Forsooth Pilate seeing that he profited nothing, but (that) the more a noise was made, (after some) water (was) taken, he washed his hands before the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man; see ye.] 25And all the people answered, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26Then he delivered, (or he let go), to them Barabbas, but he [be]took to them Jesus scourged, to be crucified. (Then he released, or he let go, Barabbas to them, but he delivered Jesus unto them, after that he was scourged, to be crucified.)

27Then [the] knights of the justice, (or of the president), took Jesus in(to) the moot hall, and gathered to him all the company of knights. (Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus into the Hall of Judgement, and gathered unto him all the company of soldiers.) 28And they unclothed him, and did about him a red mantle; 29and they folded a crown of thorns, and put (it) on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled before him, and scorned him, and said, Hail, king of Jews (Hail, the King of the Jews). 30And they spat on him, and took a reed, and smote his head. 31And after that they had scorned him, they unclothed him of the mantle, and they clothed him with his clothes, and led him (away) to crucify him [and led him (away) for to be crucified].

32And as they went out, they found a man of Cyrene coming from the town, Simon by name; they constrained him to take his cross (and they compelled him to carry his cross).

33And they came into a place that is called Golgotha [And they came to a place that is called Golgotha], that is, the place of Calvary. 34And they gave [to] him to drink wine (And they gave him wine to drink), mingled with gall; and when he had tasted (it), he would not drink (it).

35And after that they had crucified him, they parted his clothes, and cast lots, to fulfill that (that) is said by the prophet, saying, They parted to them my clothes, and on my cloth they cast lots. (And after that they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes, and threw dice, to fulfill what is said by the prophet, saying, They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my cloak they threw dice.) 36And they sat, and kept (watch over) him; 37and set, (or put), above his head his cause, (or the charge against him), written (out), This is Jesus of Nazareth, king of Jews [This is Jesus, the king of (the) Jews].

38Then two thieves were crucified with him, one on the right half, and one on the left half (one on his right side, and one on his left side). 39And men that passed forth blasphemed him, moving their heads, 40and saying, Vath, (or Fie), to thee, that destroyest the temple of God, and in the third day buildest it again; save thou thyself; if thou art the Son of God, come down of the cross (come down from the cross). 41Also and [the] princes of (the) priests scorning, with scribes and elder men, said, (And also the high priests, with the scribes, and the elders, scorned him, saying,) 42He made other men safe, he may not make himself safe; if he is [the] king of Israel, come he now down from the cross, and we believe to him; (He saved other men, but he cannot save himself; if he is the King of Israel, now come he down from the cross, and then we shall believe in him;) 43he trusted in God; deliver he him now, if he will; for he said, That I am God's Son [for he said, I am the Son of God]. 44And the thieves, that were crucified with him, upbraided him of the same thing.

45But from the sixth hour, darknesses were made on all the earth, (or upon all the land), till [to] the ninth hour. (But from about noon, darkness was made upon all the land, until about three o’clock in the afternoon.) 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a great voice, and said, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47And some men that stood there, and hearing, said, This calleth Elias. (And some men who stood there, and heard him, said, He calleth Elijah.) 48And anon, (or at once), one of them running, took and filled a sponge with vinegar, and put [it] on a reed, and gave (it) to him to drink. 49But others said, Suffer thou; see we whether Elias come to deliver him. (But others said, Wait; let us see if Elijah shall come to save him.) 50Forsooth Jesus again cried with a great voice, and (then) gave up the ghost [(and then) sent out the spirit]. 51And lo! the veil of the temple was rent in two parts, from the highest to the lowest (And lo! the veil of the Temple was torn in two parts, from the top to the bottom). And the earth shook, and the stones were cloven [And the earth was moved, and the stones were cleft]; 52and burials were opened, and many bodies of (the) saints that had slept, rose up. (and graves were opened, and many bodies of God’s people who had died, rose up.) 53And they went out of their burials (And they went out of their graves), and after his resurrection they came into the holy city, and appeared to many. 54And the centurion and they that were with him keeping (watch over) Jesus, when they saw the earth-shaking, and those things that were done, they dreaded greatly, and said, Verily this was God's Son. (And the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they were greatly afraid, and said, Truly this was the Son of God.)

55And there were there many women afar [Forsooth many women were there afar], that (pur)sued Jesus from Galilee, and ministered to him (who followed Jesus from Galilee, and served him). 56Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James, and of Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

57But when the evening was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, Joseph by name, and he was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate, and asked (for) the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given (to him). 59And when the body was taken (down), Joseph wrapped it in a clean sendal, (or in a clean linen cloth), 60and laid it in his new burial, that he had hewn in a stone; and he wallowed a great stone to the door of the burial, and went away. (and laid it in his new tomb, which he had cut out of the stone; and he rolled a great stone against the door of the tomb, and then he went away.) 61But Mary Magdalene and another Mary were there, sitting against the sepulchre (sitting opposite the tomb).

62And on the tother day, that is after pask even(ing), the princes of (the) priests and [the] Pharisees came together to Pilate, (And in the morning of the next day, that was after the evening of the Passover, the high priests, and the Pharisees came together to Pilate,) 63and said, Sir [Sire], we have mind (we have remembered), that that beguiler, (or that deceiver), said (while) yet living, After three days I shall rise again to life. 64Therefore command thou, that the sepulchre be kept (guarded) into the third day; lest his disciples come, and steal him, and say to the people, He hath risen from death [He is risen from (the) dead]; and the last error shall be worse than the former (and then the last lie, or untruth, shall be worse than the first lie, or untruth). 65Pilate said to them, Ye have the keeping (Ye have the guarding of it); go ye, keep ye (watch over it) as (sure as) ye can. 66And they went forth, and kept (watch over) the sepulchre, marking, (or sealing), the stone, with [the] keepers. (And so they went there, and kept watch over the tomb, and sealed the stone, with the guards.)

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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