Jesus Faces Pilate

1Asa soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders,b scribes,c and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priestsd tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.e

2So Pilate asked him, “Are you the kinga of the Jews? ”b

He answered him, “You say so.”

3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4Pilatea questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of! ” 5But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

6Ata the festivalb Pilatec used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. 7There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murdera during the rebellion.b 8The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. 9Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the kinga of the Jewsb for you? ” 10For he knew it was because of envya that the chief priests had handed him over. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. 12Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews? ”

13Again they shouted, “Crucify him! ”

14Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong? ”

But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him! ”

15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

16Thea soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residenceb) and called the whole company together. 17They dressed him in a purplea robe, twisted together a crownb of thorns, and put it on him. 18And they began to salute him, “Hail,a kingb of the Jews! ” 19They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,a they were paying him homage. 20After they had mockeda him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.

Crucified between Two Criminals

They led him out to crucify him. 21Theya forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross.b He was Simon of Cyrene,c the father of Alexander and Rufus.d

22Theya brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skullb). 23They tried to give him winea mixed with myrrh,b but he did not take it.

24Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lotsa for them to decide what each would get. 25Now it was nine in the morningA when they crucified him. 26The inscription of the charge written against him was: The Kinga of the Jews.b 27Theya crucified two criminalsa b with him, one on his right and one on his left.B

29Thosea who passed by were yelling insultsb atA him, shaking their heads,c and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,d 30save yourself by coming down from the cross! ”a 31In the same way, the chief priests with the scribesa were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32Let the Messiah,a the Kingb of Israel,c come down now from the cross,d so that we may see and believe.”e Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

33Whena it was noon,A darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.B b 34And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni? ” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? ”a b

35When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

36Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink,a and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

37Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. 38Then the curtaina of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way heA breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God! ”B a

40Therea were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,b Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41In Galileea these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.b

The Burial of Jesus

42Whena it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forwarda to the kingdom of God,b came and boldly went to Pilatec and asked for Jesus’s body.d 44Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. 45When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomba cut out of the rock and rolled a stoneb against the entrance to the tomb. 47Mary Magdalenea and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.