Matthew 27:65

Simplified Cowboy Version

"Take a few deputies," Pilate said. "Do whatever you think you need to do to make the grave secure."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.”

King James Version (1611)
Pilate said vnto them, Yee haue a watch, goe your way, make it as sure as you can.

King James Version
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

English Standard Version
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can."

New American Standard Bible
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how."

New Century Version
Pilate said, "Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know."

Amplified Bible
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard [of soldiers]; go [with them], make the tomb as secure as you know how."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how."

Legacy Standard Bible
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how."

Berean Standard Bible
"You have a guard," Pilate said. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."

Contemporary English Version
Pilate said to them, "All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how."

Complete Jewish Bible
Pilate said to them, "You may have your guard. Go and make the grave as secure as you know how."

Darby Translation
And Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch: go, secure it as well as ye know how.

Easy-to-Read Version
Pilate said, "Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Pilate saide vnto them, Ye haue a watch: goe, and make it sure as ye knowe.

George Lamsa Translation
Pilate said to them, You have guards; go and take precautions as best you know.

Good News Translation
"Take a guard," Pilate told them; "go and make the tomb as secure as you can."

Lexham English Bible
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you know how."

Literal Translation
And Pilate said to them, You have a guard, go away, make it as secure as you know how .

American Standard Version
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard: go, make it as sure as ye can.

Bible in Basic English
Pilate said to them, You have watchmen; go and make it as safe as you are able.

Hebrew Names Version
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can."

International Standard Version
Pilate told them, "You haveTake">[fn] a military guard. Go and make the tombit">[fn] as secure as you know how."

Etheridge Translation
Pilatos saith to them, Ye have guards; go, watch diligently, as ye know how.

Murdock Translation
Pilate said to them: Ye have soldiers: go and guard it, as ye know how.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Pilate sayde vnto them: Ye haue the watche, go your way, make it as sure as ye knowe.

English Revised Version
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

World English Bible
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Pilate said to them, Ye have a guard; go, make it as secure as ye can.

Weymouth's New Testament
"You can have a guard," said Pilate: "go and make all safe, as best you can."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Pilat seide to hem, Ye han the kepyng; go ye, kepe ye as ye kunnen.

Update Bible Version
Pilate said to them, You have a guard: go, make it [as] sure as you can.

Webster's Bible Translation
Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch: go, make [it] as secure as ye can.

New English Translation
Pilate said to them, "Take a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can."

New King James Version
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."

New Living Translation
Pilate replied, "Take guards and secure it the best you can."

New Life Bible
Pilate said to them, "Take the soldiers. Go and watch the grave."

New Revised Standard
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Pilate saith unto them - Ye have a guard: Go your way, secure it for yourselves, as ye know how.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Pilate saith to them: You have a guard. Go, guard it as you know.

Revised Standard Version
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Pilate sayde vnto them. Take watche men: Go and make it as sure as ye can.

Young's Literal Translation
And Pilate said to them, `Ye have a watch, go away, make secure -- as ye have known;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Pylate sayde vnto them: There haue ye watchme, go youre waye, and kepe it as ye can.

Mace New Testament (1729)
to whom Pilate replied, you have a guard, go then, and make it as secure as you can.

THE MESSAGE
Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can." So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.

Contextual Overview

⁵⁷When evening' was a comin', a rich fellow named Joseph who had done some studyin' and travelin' with Jesus, ⁵⁸went to Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Pilate agreed and gave the order. ⁵⁹Old Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean white sheet and ⁶⁰put the body in a cave that had been hollowed out of a rock for Joseph when he died. They rolled a boulder in front of the entrance to keep the two-legged and four-legged coyotes out. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sittin' there watchin' from nearby. ⁶²The next day, the head honchos of the church and the religious know-it-alls went to Pilate. ⁶³"Your honor," they said, "whilst that fellow we killed was still alive, he had said he would come back to life three days later. ⁶⁴We want you to post some deputies at his grave to keep Jesus's cowboys from stealin' the body and claimin' that he come back to life. Jesus deceived many good and honest folks while he was alive, but if they pull this off, it will be worse than the first trick." ⁶⁵"Take a few deputies," Pilate said. "Do whatever you think you need to do to make the grave secure." ⁶⁶They went and stretched some rope across the entrance with some mud at each end so's they could tell if it had been messed with. They told the deputies to stand guard and not let anyone mess with the body or the grave.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

make: Matthew 28:11-15, Psalms 76:10, Proverbs 21:30

Reciprocal: Matthew 28:4 - the

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Pilate said unto them, ye have a watch,.... Meaning either the watch of the temple, said to be placed in the tower of Antonia, for the service of it: hence mention is made of the captain of the temple, Acts 4:1, but it is not likely they would remove the temple guards, to watch a sepulchre night and day: or rather, therefore, the soldiers that had had the care of the crucifixion of Christ, and watched him on the cross, are designed: the words may be read imperatively, "have yea watch", or "take a watch", as the Ethiopic version renders it, and which seems best; for if they had a watch already, what occasion had they to have applied to Pilate for one? but having none, he gives them leave to take one, or such a number of soldiers as were sufficient:

go your way; as fast as you can, take the watch as soon as you please, make no stay, but satisfy yourselves in this point:

make [it] as sure as you can; or, as you know how to do it, and what will be proper and necessary.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye have a watch - The Jews had a guard of Roman soldiers, who kept watch in the tower of Antonia, on the northwest of the temple. Pilate either referred to these, or to the “watch” that attended the crucifixion - the whole “band” that had been appointed for that. As the torments of crucifixion sometimes lasted many days, the band had been probably granted to them during that time, and they were therefore still at the direction of the chief priests.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 27:65. Ye have a watch — The Jews had a corps of Roman troops, consisting of several companies, as a guard for the temple, Acts 4:1. These companies mounted guard by turns, see Luke 22:4. Some of these companies, which were not then on duty, Pilate gave them leave to employ to watch the tomb.