23
1 The whole company
of them rose
up and brought
him before Pilate.
2 They
began to accuse
him, saying, “We
found this man
perverting the
nation, forbidding paying
taxes to Caesar,
and saying that
he himself is
Christ, a king.”
3 Pilate
asked him, “Are
you the King
of the Jews?”
He answered him,
“So you
say.”
4 Pilate
said to the
chief priests and
the multitudes, “I
find no basis for
a charge against
this man.”
5 But
they insisted, saying, “He
stirs up the
people, teaching
throughout all
Judea, beginning from
Galilee even to
this place.”
6 But
when Pilate heard
Galilee mentioned, he
asked if the man
was a Galilean.
7 When
he found out
that he was
in Herod’s
jurisdiction, he
sent him to
Herod, who was
also in Jerusalem
during those days.
8 Now
when Herod saw
Jesus, he was
exceedingly glad,
for he had
wanted to see
him for a
long time, because
he had heard many
things about him.
He hoped to
see some miracle
done by him.
9 He
questioned him
with many words,
but he gave
no answers.
10 The
chief priests and
the scribes stood,
vehemently accusing
him.
11 Herod
with his
soldiers humiliated him
and mocked him.
Dressing him
in luxurious clothing,
they sent him back
to Pilate.
12 Herod
and Pilate became
friends with each
other that very
day, for before
that they were
enemies with each
other.
13 Pilate
called together
the chief priests,
the rulers, and
the people,
14 and
said to them, “You
brought this man
to me as
one that perverts
the people, and
behold, having examined
him before you,
I found no
basis for a
charge against
this man
concerning those
things of which
you accuse him.
15 Neither
has Herod, for
I sent you
to him, and
see, nothing worthy
of death has
been done by
him.
16 I
will therefore
chastise him and release him.”
17 Now he had to release one
prisoner to them at the feast.
18 But
they all cried out
together, saying, “Away
with this man!
Release to us Barabbas!”—
19 one
who was thrown
into prison for
a certain revolt
in the city,
and for murder.
20 Then
Pilate spoke to
them again,
wanting to release
Jesus,
21 but
they shouted,
saying, “Crucify!
Crucify him!”
22 He
said to them
the third time, “Why? What evil has
this man done?
I have found
no capital crime
in him. I
will therefore
chastise him
and release him.”
23 But
they were urgent
with loud voices,
asking that he
might be crucified.
Their voices and
the voices of
the chief priests
prevailed.
24 Pilate decreed that
what they asked
for should be
done.
25 He released
him who had
been thrown into
prison for
insurrection and
murder, for whom
they asked, but he
delivered Jesus up
to their will.
26 When
they led him away,
they grabbed one
Simon of Cyrene,
coming from
the country, and
laid the cross
on him to
carry it after
Jesus.
27 A
great multitude of
the people
followed him,
including women
who also mourned
and lamented him.
28 But
Jesus, turning to
them, said,
“Daughters of
Jerusalem, don’t
weep for me,
but weep for
yourselves and
for your
children.
29 For behold, the
days are coming
in which they
will say, ‘Blessed
are the barren,
the wombs that
never bore, and
the breasts that
never nursed.’
30 Then they
will begin to
tell the
mountains, ‘Fall
on us!’ and
tell the hills,
‘Cover us.’
31 For if they
do these things
in the green
tree, what will
be done in
the dry?”
32 There
were also others,
two criminals, led
with him to
be put to death.
33 When
they came to
the place that
is called “The
Skull”, they
crucified him
there with the
criminals, one on
the right and
the other on
the left.
34 Jesus
said,
“Father, forgive them,
for they don’t
know what they
are doing.”
Dividing his
garments among
them, they cast
lots.
35 The
people stood
watching. The rulers
with them
also scoffed at
him, saying, “He
saved others. Let
him save himself,
if this is
the Christ of
God, his chosen
one!”
36 The
soldiers also
mocked him, coming
to him and
offering him
vinegar,
37 and
saying, “If you
are the King
of the Jews,
save yourself!”
38 An
inscription was
also written over
him in letters
of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS
IS THE KING
OF THE JEWS.”
39 One
of the criminals
who was
hanged insulted him,
saying, “If you
are the Christ,
save yourself and
us!”
40 But
the other answered,
and rebuking him
said, “Don’t you
even fear God,
seeing you are
under the same
condemnation?
41 And
we indeed justly,
for we receive
the due reward for
our deeds, but
this man has
done nothing wrong.”
42 He
said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me
when you come
into your Kingdom.”
43 Jesus
said to him,
“Assuredly I tell
you, today you
will be with
me in
Paradise.”
44 It
was now about
the sixth
hour,
and darkness came
over the whole
land until the
ninth hour.
45 The
sun was darkened,
and the veil
of the temple
was torn in
two.
46 Jesus,
crying with a
loud voice, said,
“Father, into
your hands I
commit my
spirit!”
Having said this,
he breathed his
last.
47 When
the centurion saw
what was done,
he glorified God,
saying, “Certainly
this was a
righteous man.”
48 All
the multitudes
that came together
to see this,
when they saw
the things that
were done,
returned home
beating their
chests.
49 All
his acquaintances
and the women
who followed with
him from Galilee
stood at a
distance, watching these
things.
50 Behold,
there was a
man named Joseph,
who was a
member of the
council, a good
and righteous man
51 (he
had not consented
to their counsel
and deed),
from Arimathaea, a
city of the
Jews, who was
also waiting for
God’s Kingdom.
52 This
man went to
Pilate, and asked
for Jesus’ body.
53 He
took it down
and wrapped it
in a linen
cloth, and laid
him in a
tomb that was
cut in stone,
where no one
had ever been
laid.
54 It
was the day
of the Preparation,
and the Sabbath
was drawing near.
55 The
women who had
come with him
out of Galilee
followed after,
and saw the
tomb and how
his body was
laid.
56 They
returned and
prepared spices and
ointments. On the
Sabbath they
rested according
to the commandment.