30. Aria A (Chorus I) and Chorus II
Alas, now my Jesus is gone!
- Where, then, has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women? -
Is it possible, can I behold it?
- Which way has your beloved turned? -
Alas! my lamb in the claws of a tiger;
Alas! Where has my Jesus gone?
- We will seek him with you. -
Alas! What shall I say to the soul,
when she asks me anxiously:
Alas! Where has my Jesus gone?
31. Evangelist
But after they had arrested Jesus, they brought him to the High Priest Caiaphas, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. Peter, however, followed him from afar to the palace of the high priest, and went inside and sat with the servants, so he could see how it came out. The high priests, however, and the elders, and the entire council sought false witness against Jesus, so that they could put him to death, and found none.
32. Chorale
The world has judged me deceitfully,
with lies and false statements,
many traps and secret snares.
Lord, perceive me truthfully
in this danger;
protect me from malicious falsehoods!
33. Evangelist
And although many false witnesses came forward, they found none. Finally two false witnesses came forward and said:
Witnesses
He has said: I can destroy the temple of God and in three days build it up again.
Evangelist
And the high priest stood up and said to him:
High Priest
Do you answer nothing to this, that they say against you?
Evangelist
But Jesus was silent.
34. Recitative T (Chorus II)
My Jesus is silent
at false lies,
in order to show us
that his merciful will
is bent on suffering for us,
and that we, in the same trouble,
should be like him
and keep silent under persecution.
35. Aria T (Chorus II)
Patience, patience!
When false tongues pierce.
Although I suffer, contrary to my due,
shame and scorn,
indeed, dear God shall
revenge the innocence of my heart.
36a. Evangelist
And the high priest answered and said to him:
High Priest
I abjure you by the living God to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God!
Evangelist
Jesus said to him:
Jesus
You say it. Yet I say to you: from now on it will come to pass that you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and approaching in the clouds of heaven.
Evangelist
Then the high priest tore his garments and said:
High Priest
He has blasphemed God; what further witness do we need? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. What do you think?
Evangelist
They answered and said:
36b. Chorus I & II
He is worthy of death!
36c. Evangelist
Then they spit in his face and struck him with fists. Some of them, however, struck him in the face and said:
36d. Chorus I & II
Prophesy to us, Christ, who is it who strikes you?
37. Chorale
Who has struck you thus,
my Savior, and with torments
so evilly used you?
You are not at all a sinner
like us and our children;
you know nothing of transgressions.
38a. Evangelist
Peter, however, sat outside of the palace; and a maid came up to him and said:
Maid I
And you were also with that Jesus of Galilee
Evangelist
He denied it however before them all and said:
Peter
I don't know what you are saying.
Evangelist
As he was going out of the door, however, another one saw him and said to those who were near:
Maid II
This one was also with that Jesus from Nazareth.
Evangelist
And he denied again, and swore to it:
Peter
I do not know the man.
Evangelist
And after a little while people standing around came up and said to Peter:
38b. Chorus II
Truly you are also one of them; your speech gives you away.
38c. Evangelist
Then he began to curse and swear:
Peter
I do not know the man.
Evangelist
And just then the cock crew. Then Peter remembered the words of Jesus, when he said to him: "before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
39. Aria A (Chorus I)
Have mercy, my God,
for the sake of my tears!
Look here, heart and eyes
weep bitterly before you.
Have mercy, have mercy!
40. Chorale
Although I have been separated from you,
yet I return again;
even so your Son set the example for us
through his anguish and mortal pain.
I do not deny my guilt,
but your grace and mercy
is much greater than the sin
that I constantly discover in me.
41a. Evangelist
The next day, however, all the high priests and the elders of the people held a council about Jesus so that they could put him to death. And they bound him, led him out and turned him over to the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When Judas, who betrayed him, saw that he was condemned to death, he felt remorse and brought back the thirty silver pieces to the high priests and the elders and said:
Judas
I have done evil by betraying innocent blood.
Evangelist
They said:
41b. Chorus I & II
How does that concern us? See to it yourself!
41c. Evangelist
And he threw the silver pieces into the temple and left, and went away and hanged himself. However the high priests took the silver pieces and said:
High Priests
It will not do to put them into the coffers of God, since it is blood money.
42. Aria B (Chorus II)
Give me my Jesus back!
See the money, the murderer's fee,
tossed at your feet by the
lost son!
43. Evangelist
They held a council, however, and bought a potter's field with them for the burial of pilgrims. Therefore this same field is called the Field of Blood to this very day. Thus was fulfilled what was spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah, who said: "They have taken thirty silver pieces, the price of him who was bought from the children of Israel, and have given them for a potter's field, as the Lord has commanded me." Jesus, however, stood before the Governor; and the Governor questioned him and said:
Pilate
Are you the King of the Jews?
Evangelist
Jesus, however, said to him:
Jesus
You say it.
Evangelist
And to the accusations from the high priests and the elders he answered nothing. Then Pilate said to him:
Pilate
Do you not hear how harshly they accuse you?
Evangelist
And he answered him not even one word thus, to which even the Governor was greatly amazed.
44. Chorale
Commit your path,
and whatever troubles your heart,
to the most faithful caretaker,
who directs the heavens,
who to the clouds, air, and winds
gives path, course, and passage;
he will find ways
for your feet to follow as well.
45a. Evangelist
At the festival, however, the Governor had a custom of releasing a prisoner to the people, whichever they wanted. He had, however, at the time a most unusual prisoner named Barabbas. And as they were gathered together, Pilate said to them:
Pilate
Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or Jesus, of whom it is said, he is the Christ?
Evangelist
For he knew well that they had handed him over out of envy. And while he sat upon the judgment seat, his wife sent to him and her message said:
Pilate's Wife
Have nothing to do with this righteous man; I have suffered much in a dream today on his account!
Evangelist
But the high priests and the elders convinced the people that they should ask for Barabbas and convict Jesus. So when the Governor answered and said to them:
Pilate
Which one between the two do you want me to release to you?
Evangelist
They said:
Chorus I & II
Barabbas!
Evangelist
Pilate said to them:
Pilate
What shall I do then with Jesus, of whom it is said, he is the Christ?
Evangelist
They all said:
45b. Chorus I & II
Let him be crucified!
46. Chorale
How strange is this punishment!
The Good Shepherd suffers for the sheep.
The Lord, the Righteous One, atones for the crime
on his servant's behalf.
47. Evangelist
The Governor said:
Pilate
What evil has he done then?
48. Recitative S (Chorus I)
He has done good things for all of us;
he gave sight to the blind,
he made the lame to walk,
he told us his Father's word,
he drove out the devil,
he has strengthened the troubled.
He took sinners in and embraced them,
other than that, my Jesus has done nothing!
49. Aria S (Chorus I)
Out of love my Savior wants to die.
He knows nothing of a single sin;
so that the eternal destruction
and the punishment of judgment
would not remain upon my soul.
50a. Evangelist
They screamed even more and said:
50b. Chorus I & II
Let him be crucified!
50c. Evangelist
When Pilate saw, however, that he achieved nothing, rather that a much greater riot occurred, he took water and washed his hands before the people and said:
Pilate
I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man, see to it yourselves!
Evangelist
Then all the people answered and said:
50d. Chorus I & II
Let his blood be on us and on our children.
50e. Evangelist
Then he released Barabbas to them; but he had Jesus scourged and handed him over to be crucified.
51. Recitative A (Chorus II)
Forgive this, God!
Here stands the Savior bound.
O scourging, o blows, o wounds!
You hangmen, stop!
Doesn't the soul's anguish,
the sight of such horror soften you?
Alas indeed! You have such hearts
that are like the whipping posts themselves
and even much harder.
Have mercy, stop!
52. Aria A (Chorus II)
If the tears on my cheeks
can do nothing,
o then take my heart as well!
Yet let it be, in the flow,
as the wounds gently bleed,
the offering-bowl as well.
53a. Evangelist
Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus with them into the courthouse and gathered around him the entire troop; and undressed him and put a purple mantle on him; and they wove a crown of thorns and set it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand, and they bowed before him and mocked him, saying:
53b. Chorus I & II
Hail to you, King of the Jews!
53c. Evangelist
And they spit on him and took the reed and struck his head with it.
54. Chorale
O Head, full of blood and wounds,
full of suffering and shame!
O Head, bound in mockery
with a crown of thorns!
O Head, once beautifully adorned
with the highest honor and beauty,
yet now supremely defiled:
be greeted by me!
You noble countenance,
before which rather should tremble and cower
the great powers of the world,
how spat upon are you,
How ashen you have become!
Who has treated the light of your eyes,
which is like no other light,
so shamefully?
55. Evangelist
And when they had mocked him, they took off the mantle and put his clothes back on; and led him out to be crucified. And as they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled him to carry his cross for him.
56. Recitative B (Chorus I)
Yes, willingly are flesh and blood
compelled to the Cross;
The better it is for our souls,
the bitterer it feels.
57. Aria B (Chorus I)
Come, sweet Cross, this I want to say:
My Jesus, give it always to me!
If my suffering becomes too heavy one day,
you yourself will help me bear it.
58a. Evangelist
And when they had come to the place named Golgatha, which is translated the place of the Skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mixed with gall; and when he tasted it, he would not drink it. When they had crucified him, however, they divided up his clothing and tossed lots over them, so that what was spoken through the Prophets was fulfilled: "They have divided my clothing among them, and over my robe they have cast lots." And they sat around and kept watch. And over his head they lifted up a written sentence of death, namely: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." And there were two murderers crucified with him, one to his left and one to his right. But those who passed by cursed at him and shook their heads, saying:
58b. Chorus I & II
You who destroy the temple of God and build it up again in three days, help yourself! If you are the Son of God, climb down from the Cross!
58c. Evangelist
In the same way the high priests also mocked him, together with the scribes and the elders, saying:
58d. Chorus I & II
He has helped others and he cannot help Himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him climb down now from the Cross, and we will believe in him. He has trusted in God to rescue him now; he lied, because he said: "I am the Son of God."
58e. Evangelist
In the same way he was reviled by the murderers who were crucified with Him.
59. Recitative A (Chorus I)
Alas, Golgatha, unhappy Golgatha!
The Lord of glory
must shamefully perish here,
the blessing and salvation of the world
is placed on the Cross as a curse.
From the Creator of heaven and earth
earth and air shall be withdrawn.
The innocent must die here guilty;
this touches my soul deeply;
Alas, Golgatha, unhappy Golgatha!
60. Aria A (Chorus I) and Chorus II
Look, Jesus has stretched out his hands
to embrace us,
come! - where? - in Jesus' arms
seek redemption, receive mercy,
seek it! - where? - in Jesus' arms.
Live, die, rest here,
you forsaken chicks,
stay! - where? - in Jesus' arms.
61a. Evangelist
And from the sixth hour there was a darkness over the entire land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out loudly and said:
Jesus
Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?
Evangelist
That is: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of those, however, who were standing by, when they heard this, said:
61b. Chorus I
He is calling Elijah!
61c. Evangelist
And some of them quickly ran, took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed for him to drink. But the others said:
61d. Chorus II
Stop! Let's see whether Elijah comes and helps him.
61e. Evangelist
But Jesus cried out loudly once again and died.
62. Chorale
When I must depart one day,
do not part from me then,
when I must suffer death,
come to me then!
When the greatest anxiety
will constrict my heart,
then wrest me out of the horror
by the power of your anguish and pain.
63a. Evangelist
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two pieces from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the cliffs were rent, and the graves opened up, and many bodies of saints arose, who were sleeping, and came out of their graves after his resurrection and came into the Holy City and appeared to many people. The Captain, however, and those with him who were guarding Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and what happened then, they were terrified and said:
63b. Chorus I & II
Truly, this was the Son of God.
63c. Evangelist
And there were many women there, watching from a distance, who had followed him from Galilee and had served him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. In the evening however, came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus; he went to Pilate and asked him for Jesus' body. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
64. Recitative B (Chorus I)
In the evening, when it was cool,
Adam's fall was made apparent;
in the evening the Savior bowed himself down.
In the evening the dove came back,
bearing an olive leaf in its mouth.
O lovely time! O evening hour!
The pact of peace with God has now been made,
since Jesus has completed His Cross.
His body comes to rest,
Ah! dear soul, ask,
go, have them give you the dead Jesus,
O salutary, o precious remembrance!
65. Aria B (Chorus I)
Make yourself pure, my heart,
I want to bury Jesus myself.
For from now on he shall have in me,
forever and ever,
his sweet rest.
World, get out, let Jesus in!
66a. Evangelist
And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a pure shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of a single rock, and rolled a large stone before the opening of the tomb and went away. But Mary Magdalene and the other Marys were there, and they sat opposite the tomb. On the next day, that followed after the Sabbath day, the high priests and Pharisees came all together to Pilate and said:
66b. Chorus I & II
Lord, we have remembered that this deceiver said, when he was still alive: "I will rise again after three days." Therefore order that the tomb be guarded until the third day, so that his disciples do not come and steal him, and say to the people, "he has arisen from the dead," and the newest fraud would be worse than the first one!
66c. Evangelist
Pilate said to them:
Pilate
You have guards there; go and guard it as you see fit!
Evangelist
They went forth and protected the tomb with guards and put a seal on the stone.
67. Recitative BTAS (Chorus I) and Chorus II
Now the Lord is brought to rest.
- My Jesus, good night! -
The weariness is over, that our sins have given him.
- My Jesus, good night! -
O blessed bones,
see, how I weep over you with repentance and regret,
since my fall has brought such anguish upon You!
- My Jesus, good night! -
Lifelong, thousand thanks to you for your suffering,
since you held my soul's salvation so dear.
- My Jesus, good night! -
68. Chorus I & II
We sit down with tears
and call to you in the grave:
rest gently, gently rest!
Rest, you exhausted limbs!
- Rest gently, rest well. -
Your grave and headstone
shall, for the anxious conscience,
be a comfortable pillow
and the resting place for the soul.
- rest gently, gently rest! -
Highly contented,
there the eyes fall asleep.
