J.S. Bach's ST. Matthew Passion

1. Chorus I & II and Chorale
(Daughters of Zion and Faithful Souls) 
Come, daughters, help me lament, 
behold! - Whom? - the Bridegroom!
Behold him! - how? - As a Lamb. 
Behold! - what? - behold the patience, 
look! - where? - at our guilt. 
See him, out of love and graciousness 
bear the wood for the Cross Himself.

O innocent Lamb of God,
slaughtered on the trunk of the Cross,
patient at all times,
however you were scorned.
you have borne all sins,
otherwise we would have to despair.
Have mercy on us, o Jesus.

2a. Evangelist 
When Jesus had finished this speech, he said to His disciples:

Jesus 
You know that in two days it will be Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.

3. Chorale
Heart's beloved Jesus, how have you transgressed,
that such a harsh sentence has been pronounced?
What is the crime, of what kind of misdeed
are you accused?

4a. Evangelist 
Then the high priests and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas, and took council how with deception they could seize Jesus and kill him. They said, however:

4b. Chorus I & II 
Not, indeed, during the festival, so that there will not be an uproar among the people.

4c. Evangelist 
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with a cup filled with valuable water; and she poured it upon his head as he sat at the table. When his disciples saw this, they were against it and said:

4d. Chorus I 
What purpose does this foolishness serve? This water could have been sold for a high price and given to the poor.

4e. Evangelist 
When Jesus heard this, he said to them:

Jesus 
Why do you trouble this woman? She has done a good deed for me. You will have the poor with you always, but you will not always have me. She has poured this water on my body because I will be buried. Truly I say to you: wherever this Gospel will be preached in the whole world they will tell, in her memory, what she has done.

5. Recitative A (Chorus I) 
O you dear Savior, 
when your disciples foolishly protest 
that this virtuous woman 
prepares your body 
with ointment for the grave, 
in the meantime let me, 
with the flowing tears from my eyes, 
pour a water upon your head!

6. Aria A (Chorus I) 
Repentance and regret, repentance and regret 
rips the sinful heart in two. 
Thus the drops of my tears, 
desirable spices, 
are brought to you, loving Jesus

7. Evangelist 
Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests and said:

Judas 
What will you give me? I will betray him to you.

Evangelist 
And they offered him thirty silver pieces. And from then on he sought opportunity to betray him.

8. Aria S (Chorus II) 
Bleed out, you loving heart! 
Alas! A child that you raised, 
that nursed at your breast, 
threatens to murder its caretaker, 
since it has become a serpent.

9a. Evangelist 
But on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus and said to him:

9b. Chorus I 
Where do you want us to prepare to eat the Passover lamb?

9c. Evangelist 
He said:

Jesus 
Go into the city to a certain person and say to him: the Master says to you: my time is here, I will hold Passover in your house with my disciples.

Evangelist 
And the disciples did as Jesus had commanded them, and prepared the Passover lamb. And in the evening he sat at dinner with the twelve. And as they ate, He said:

Jesus 
Truly I say to you: one among you will betray me.

9d. Evangelist 
And they were very troubled and began, each one among them, to say to him:

9e. Chorus I 
Lord, is it I?

10. Chorale
It is I, I should atone,
bound hand and foot
in hell.
The scourges and the bonds
and what you endured,
my soul has earned.

11. Evangelist
He answered and said:

Jesus
He who has dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will indeed pass away as it stands written of him; yet woe to the man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if this man had never been born.

Evangelist
Then Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said:

Judas
Is it I, Rabbi?

Evangelist
He said to him:

Jesus
You say it.

Evangelist
While they ate, however, Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said:

Jesus
Take, eat, this is my body.

Evangelist
And he took the cup and blessed it, gave it to them and said:

Jesus
Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I say to you: from now on I will not drink again from this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink again with you in my Father's kingdom.

12. Recitative S (Chorus I) 
Although my heart is swimming in tears, 
since Jesus takes leave of me, 
yet his Testament brings my joy: 
his flesh and blood, o preciousness, 
he bequeaths to my hands. 
Just as in the world, among his own, 
he could not wish them harm, 
just so he loves them to the end.

13. Aria S (Chorus I) 
I will give you my heart; 
sink within, my Savior! 
I will sink into you;
although the world is too small for you,
ah, you alone shall be for me
more than heaven and earth.

14. Evangelist 
And when they had spoken the benediction, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them:

Jesus 
Tonight you will all be angry at me. For it is written: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." When, however, I rise again, I shall go before you into Galilee.

15. Chorale
Acknowledge me, my Guardian,
my Shepherd, take me in!
From you, source of all goodness,
has much good come to me.
Your mouth has nourished me
with milk and sweet sustenance;
your spirit has lavished upon me
much heavenly joy.

16. Evangelist 
Peter answered, however, and said to him:

Peter 
Even though everyone will be angry at you, yet I will never be angry.

Evangelist 
Jesus said to him:

Jesus 
Truly, I say to you: tonight, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.

Evangelist 
Peter said to him:

Peter 
Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.

Evangelist 
All the other disciples also said the same.

17. Chorale
I will stay here with you,
do not scorn me!
I will not leave you,
even as your heart breaks.
When your heart grows pale
at the last stroke of death,
Then I will hold you fast
In my arm and bosom.

18. Evangelist 
Then Jesus came with them to a garden, which was called Gethsemane, and spoke to his disciples:

Jesus 
Sit here while I go over there and pray.

Evangelist 
And he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and began to mourn and despair. Then Jesus said to them:

Jesus 
My soul is troubled even to death; stay here and watch with me!

19. Recitative T (Chorus I) and Chorus II 
O pain! 
Here the tormented heart trembles; 
how it sinks down, how mis face pales! 
  What is the cause of all this trouble? 
The Judge leads mim before judgment. 
No comfort, no helper is there.
  Alas! My sins have struck you down; 
He suffers all the torments of Hell, 
he must pay for the crimes of others.
  I, alas, Lord Jesus, have earned this, 
  that you endure.
Ah! Could my love for you,
my Savior, diminish or bring aid
to your trembling and your despair,
how gladly would I stay here!

20. Aria T (Chorus I) and Chorus II 
I will watch with my Jesus,
- So our sins fall asleep. -  
My death  
is atoned for by his soul's anguish;   
his sorrow makes me full of joy. 
- Therefore his deserved suffering must be truly bitter and yet sweet to us. -

21. Evangelist 
And went away a bit, fell down on his face and prayed and said:

Jesus 
My Father, if it is possible, let this Cup pass from me; yet not as I will it, rather as you wish.

22. Recitative B (Chorus II) 
The Savior falls down before his Father; 
through this he lifts up himself and everyone 
from our fall 
to God's grace again. 
He is ready 
to drink the Cup of 
death's bitterness, 
in which the sins of this world 
are poured and which stink horribly, 
since it is pleasing to our loving God.

23. Aria B (Chorus II) 
Gladly will I force myself 
to take on the Cross and the Chalice, 
yet I drink after the Savior. 
For his mouth,
which flows with milk and honey, 
has sweetened the grounds 
and the bitter taste of sorrow, 
through his first sip.

24. Evangelist 
And he came back to his disciples and found them sleeping, and said to them:

Jesus 
Couldn't you then remain awake with me one hour? Stay awake, and pray, so that you do not fall into temptation! The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Evangelist 
For a second time he went away, prayed and said:

Jesus 
My Father, if it is not possible that this Cup pass away from me, then I will drink it; thus may your will be done.

25. Chorale
What my God wills always occurs,
His will is the best;
he is ready to help those
who believe firmly in him.
He gives aid in need, this righteous God,
and punishes with measure.
Who trusts in God, rely upon him firmly,
God will never abandon.

26. Evangelist 
And he came back and found them sleeping, nevertheless, and their eyes were full of sleep. And he left them and went away another time and prayed for the third time, and spoke the same words. Then he came back to his disciples and said to them:

Jesus 
Alas! Do you wish to sleep and rest now? Behold, the hour has come, when the Son of Man is to be handed over into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go; see, he who betrays me is here.

Evangelist 
And as he was speaking, behold, there came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a large troop from the high priest and the elders of the people with swords and spears. And the betrayer had given them a sign and said: "The one that I will kiss is him; seize him!" And just then he stepped forward to Jesus and said:

Judas
Greetings to you, Rabbi!

Evangelist 
And kissed him. However Jesus said to him:

Jesus 
My friend, why did you come?

Evangelist 
Then they stepped forward and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

27a. Aria SA (Chorus I) and Chorus II 
Thus my Jesus is now captured. 
- Leave him, stop, don't bind him! - 
Moon and light 
for sorrow have set, 
since my Jesus is captured. 
They take him away, he is bound.

27b. Chorus I & II 
Are lightning and thunder 
extinguished in the clouds? 
Open the fiery abyss, O Hell, 
crush, destroy, devour, smash 
with sudden rage 
the false betrayer, the murderous blood!

28. Evangelist 
And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and struck a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him:

Jesus 
Put your sword back in its place; for whoever takes the sword will perish through the sword. Or do you think that I could not ask my Father to send me more than twelve legions of angels? How would the scripture be fulfilled then? It must happen thus.

Evangelist 
At the time Jesus said to the crowd:

Jesus 
You have come out as if to a murderer, with swords and spears to take me; yet I have daily sat among you and have taught in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. However all of this has happened in order to fulfill the writings of the prophets.

Evangelist 
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

29. Chorale
O mankind, mourn your great sins,
for which Christ left his Father's bosom
and came to earth;
from a virgin pure and tender
he was born here for us,
he wished to become our Intercessor,
he gave life to the dead
and laid aside all sickness
until the time approached
that he would be offered for us,
bearing the heavy burden of our sins
indeed for a long time on the Cross.

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.