1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, โWe have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.โ
3So Pilate asked Jesus, โAre you the king of the Jews?โ
โYou have said so,โ Jesus replied.
4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, โI find no basis for a charge against this man.โ
5But they insisted, โHe stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.โ
6On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he learned that Jesus was under Herodโs jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.11Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12That day Herod and Pilate became friendsโbefore this they had been enemies.
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, โYou brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.โ [17] a
18But the whole crowd shouted, โAway with this man! Release Barabbas to us!โ 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, โCrucify him! Crucify him!โ
22For the third time he spoke to them: โWhy? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.โ
23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.28Jesus turned and said to them, โDaughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, โBlessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!โ 30Then
โโฏโthey will say to the mountains, โFall on us!โ
and to the hills, โCover us!โโฏโ b
31For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?โ
32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminalsโone on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, โFather, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.โ c And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, โHe saved others; let him save himself if he is Godโs Messiah, the Chosen One.โ
36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, โIf you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.โ
38There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: โArenโt you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!โ
40But the other criminal rebuked him. โDonโt you fear God,โ he said, โsince you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.โ
42Then he said, โJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. d โ
43Jesus answered him, โTruly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.โ
The Death of Jesus
44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.46Jesus called out with a loud voice, โFather, into your hands I commit my spirit.โ e When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, โSurely this was a righteous man.โ 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesusโ body. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Footnotes:
aย 17ย Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 27:15 and Mark 15:6.
bย 30ย Hoseaโฏ10:8
cย 34ย Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.
dย 42ย Some manuscriptsย come with your kingly power
eย 46ย Psalmโฏ31:5
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