1 Then the whole assembly
rose and
led him
off to
Pilate.
2 And they
began to
accuse
him,
saying,
“We have
found this
man
subverting
our
nation. He
opposes
payment of
taxes to
Caesar and
claims to
be
Messiah, a
king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus,
“Are you
the king
of the
Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus
replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to
the chief
priests
and the
crowd, “I
find no
basis for
a charge
against
this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He
stirs up
the people
all over
Judea by
his
teaching.
He started
in Galilee
and has
come all
the way
here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate
asked if
the man
was a
Galilean.
7 When he
learned
that Jesus
was under
Herod’s
jurisdiction,
he sent
him to
Herod, who
was also
in
Jerusalem
at that
time.
8 When 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.
9 He plied
him with
many
questions,
but Jesus
gave him
no answer.
10 The
chief
priests
and the
teachers
of the law
were
standing
there,
vehemently
accusing
him.
11 Then
Herod and
his
soldiers
ridiculed
and mocked
him.
Dressing
him in an
elegant
robe, they
sent him
back to
Pilate.
12 That
day Herod
and Pilate
became
friends—before
this they
had been
enemies.
13 Pilate called together
the chief
priests,
the rulers
and the
people,
14 and
said to
them, “You
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.
15 Neither
has Herod,
for he
sent him
back to
us; as you
can see,
he has
done
nothing to
deserve
death.
16>17 Therefore,
I will
punish him
and then
release
him.”
18 But the whole crowd
shouted,
“Away with
this man!
Release
Barabbas
to us!”
19 (Barabbas
had been
thrown
into
prison for
an
insurrection
in the
city, and
for
murder.)
20 Wanting to release
Jesus,
Pilate
appealed
to them
again.
21 But
they kept
shouting,
“Crucify
him!
Crucify
him!”
22 For the third time he
spoke to
them:
“Why? 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.”
23 But with loud shouts
they
insistently
demanded
that he be
crucified,
and their
shouts
prevailed.
24 So
Pilate
decided to
grant
their
demand.
25 He
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
26 As 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.
27 A
large
number of
people
followed
him,
including
women who
mourned
and wailed
for him.
28 Jesus
turned and
said to
them,
“Daughters
of
Jerusalem,
do not
weep for
me; weep
for
yourselves
and for
your
children.
29 For the
time will
come when
you will
say,
‘Blessed
are the
childless
women, the
wombs that
never bore
and the
breasts
that never
nursed!’
30 Then
“‘they will say to the
mountains,
“Fall on
us!”
and to
the hills,
“Cover
us!”’
31 For if people do these
things
when the
tree is
green,
what will
happen
when it is
dry?”
32 Two other men, both
criminals,
were also
led out
with him
to be
executed.
33 When
they came
to the
place
called the
Skull,
they
crucified
him there,
along with
the
criminals—one
on his
right, the
other on
his left.
34 Jesus
said,
“Father,
forgive
them, for
they do
not know
what they
are
doing.”
And they
divided up
his
clothes by
casting
lots.
35 The people stood
watching,
and the
rulers
even
sneered at
him. They
said, “He
saved
others;
let him
save
himself if
he is
God’s
Messiah,
the Chosen
One.”
36 The soldiers also came
up and
mocked
him. They
offered
him wine
vinegar
37 and
said, “If
you are
the king
of the
Jews, save
yourself.”
38 There was a written
notice
above him,
which
read: this
is the
king of
the jews.
39 One of the criminals
who hung
there
hurled
insults at
him:
“Aren’t
you the
Messiah?
Save
yourself
and us!”
40 But the other criminal
rebuked
him.
“Don’t you
fear God,”
he said,
“since you
are under
the same
sentence?
41 We are
punished
justly,
for we are
getting
what our
deeds
deserve.
But this
man has
done
nothing
wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus,
remember
me when
you come
into your
kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him,
“Truly I
tell you,
today you
will be
with me in
paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon,
and
darkness
came over
the whole
land until
three in
the
afternoon,
45 for the
sun
stopped
shining.
And the
curtain of
the temple
was torn
in two.
46 Jesus
called out
with a
loud
voice,
“Father,
into your
hands I
commit my
spirit.”
When he
had said
this, he
breathed
his last.
47 The centurion, seeing
what had
happened,
praised
God and
said,
“Surely
this was a
righteous
man.”
48 When
all the
people who
had
gathered
to witness
this sight
saw what
took
place,
they beat
their
breasts
and went
away.
49 But
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
50 Now there was a man
named
Joseph, a
member of
the
Council, a
good and
upright
man,
51 who
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.
52 Going
to Pilate,
he asked
for Jesus’
body.
53 Then 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.
54 It
was
Preparation
Day, and
the
Sabbath
was about
to begin.
55 The women who had come
with Jesus
from
Galilee
followed
Joseph and
saw the
tomb and
how his
body was
laid in
it.
56 Then
they went
home and
prepared
spices and
perfumes.
But they
rested on
the
Sabbath in
obedience
to the
commandment.