1 LATE on the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was drawing near, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.
2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came to the stone and rolled it away and sat upon it.
3 His appearance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow.
4 For fear of him the guards trembled violently and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, "Do not you be afraid. For I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here. He has been raised, as he told you. Come see the place where he lay.
7 Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has been raised from the dead. He will precede you to Galilee. There you will see him. See, I have told you."
8 They left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.
9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" They came up and clasped his feet and bowed down before him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and take the message to my disciples to go away to Galilee and there they will see me."
11 While they were going, some of the guard came into the city and brought word to the high priests of all that had happened.
12 After assembling with the elders and holding a consultation, they gave a good deal of money to the soldiers
13 and said, "Say, 'His disciples came in the night and stole him away while we were asleep,'
14 and if this comes to the ears of the Governor we will persuade him and free you from trouble."
15 The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this report has been spread among the Jews to this day.
16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had appointed to meet them,
17 and they saw him and bowed down before him; but some doubted.
18 Jesus came to them and talked with them. He said, "To me has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to keep all the commands that I have given you. And, behold, I am with you all the days to the end of the world."