Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 27)
By morning, elders and chief priests
Decided to put Him to death;
They led Him bound and handed Him
Over to Governor Pilate.
On seeing Jesus condemned thus,
Judas regretted deeply for
What he did to Jesus then.
He gave the silver pieces back
To chief priests and elders and said:
‘I have betrayed innocent blood! ’
But they said, ‘What is that to us? ’
He flung the money in temple
And went and hanged himself, that day;
The chief priests gathered the money,
For it was unlawful to place
The ‘price of blood’ inside temple.
They bought the potter’s field with it,
As burial place for foreigners;
That field is still called ’Field of Blood.’
Thus came to be fulfilled prophet
Jeremiah’s prophetic words!
The governor queried Jesus:
‘Are you the king of Jews, tell me? ’
And Jesus answered, ‘You say so.’
And when accused by the chief priests
And elders, He made no answer;
Then Pilate said, ‘Do you not hear
The things they utter against you? ’
But He didn’t answer him a word;
The governor was so perplexed.
Now on the occasion of Feast,
The governor would release one
Prisoner, whom people had wished.
A notorious prisoner then,
Called Barabbas was ushered in;
Then Pilate asked of them, ‘Which one
Do you want me to release now-
Barabbas or the Messiah? ’
For, he knew that out of envy,
They had handed Jesus to him.
While being seated on his bench,
His wife sent him a caution note:
Do not trouble the righteous man,
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poem by John Celes
Added by Poetry Lover
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