7 Then the Jews called together all the soldiers who kept the sepulchre of Jesus, and said to them, Who are those women, to whom the angel spoke? Why did ye not seize them.
8 The soldiers answered and said, We know not who the women were; besides we became as dead persons through fear, and how could we seize those women?
9 The Jews said to them, As the Lord liveth, we do not believe you;
10 The soldiers answering said to the Jews, when ye saw and heard Jesus working so many miracles, and did not believe him, how should ye believe us? Ye well said, As the Lord liveth, for the Lord truly does live.
11 We have heard that ye shut up Joseph, who buried the body of Jesus, in a chamber, under a lock which was sealed; and when ye opened it, found him not there.
12 Do ye then produce Joseph whom ye put under guard in the chamber, and we will produce Jesus whom we guarded in the sepulchre.
13 The Jews answered and said, We will produce Joseph, do ye produce Jesus. But Joseph is in his own city of Arimathaea.
14 The soldiers replied, If Joseph be in Arimathaea, and Jesus in Galilee, we heard the angel inform the women.
15 The Jews hearing this, were afraid, and said among themselves, If by any means these things should become public, then everybody will believe in Jesus.
16 Then they gathered a large sum of money, and gave it to the soldiers, saying, Do ye tell the people that the disciples of Jesus came in the night when ye were asleep, and stole away the body of Jesus; and if Pilate the governor should hear of this, we will satisfy him and secure you.