Jesus Delivered to Pilate
1 Immediately in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, took him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
He answered, “So you say.”
3 The chief priests accused him of many things, but he answered nothing. 4 Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”
5 But Jesus made no further answer, and Pilate was amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
6 Now at the feast Pilate used to release one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 One of the prisoners was Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. 8 The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he had always done for them. 9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that it was because of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, that he might release Barabbas to them instead. 12 Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 They cried out again, “Crucify him!”
14 Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?”
But they cried out even more, “Crucify him!”
15 Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and handed over Jesus, having flogged him, to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16 The soldiers led him away into the hall, that is called the Praetorium, and they called together the whole battalion of soldiers.
17 They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. 18 They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed and spat on him and bowing their knees, worshiped him.
20 When they had mocked him, they took the purple robe off him and put his own clothes on him and led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21 They forced a man named Simon, a Cyrenian (the father of Alexander and Rufus), who passed by coming out of the country, to bear his cross. 22 They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is interpreted, “The place of a skull.” 23 They gave him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he did not take it.
24 And when they had crucified him, they distributed his garments, casting lots for them, to determine who should take what. 25 It was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the accusation against him was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
27 And with him they crucified two thieves, one on his right hand and the other on his left. 28 And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, with the lawless, he was counted.”
29 Those who passed by railed against him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 Likewise, the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
Those who were being crucified with him also reproached him.
The Death of Jesus
33 When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “He is calling Elijah.”
36 One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
37 Jesus, having uttered a loud cry, breathed his last. 38 The veil of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. 39 When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he had breathed his last in this way, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40 There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When Jesus was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
42 When evening had now come, because it was Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God, came and went boldly up to Pilate, asking for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate was amazed that he was already dead, and summoning the centurion, questioned him as to whether he had already died. 45 When he was informed of this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
46 He bought fine linen cloth and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen and laid him in a tomb which had been chiseled out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, were watching where he was laid.