Other Translations of Matthew 27:1-61

King James Version

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27¹ When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: ² And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

The Death of Judas

³ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. ⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. ⁶ And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. ⁷ And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. ⁸ Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom whom...: or, whom they bought of the children of Israel they of the children of Israel did value; ¹⁰ And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. ¹² And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³ Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? ¹⁴ And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹⁵ Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. ¹⁶ And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? ¹⁸ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. ¹⁹ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. ²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. ²² Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. ²³ And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. ²⁵ Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

²⁶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. ²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, common hall: or, governor's house and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. ²⁸ And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. ²⁹ And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! ³⁰ And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. ³¹ And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

³² And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

³³ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, ³⁴ They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. ³⁵ And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. ³⁶ And sitting down they watched him there; ³⁷ And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸ Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. ³⁹ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, ⁴⁰ And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. ⁴¹ Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴² He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. ⁴³ He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. ⁴⁴ The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. ⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. ⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; ⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, ⁵³ And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. ⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. ⁵⁵ And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: ⁵⁶ Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. ⁵⁹ And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. ⁶¹ And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

English Standard Version

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27¹ When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. ² And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

The Death of Judas

³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that JesusGreek he was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money." ⁷ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so." ¹² But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" ¹⁴ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" ¹⁸ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. ¹⁹ Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." ²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." ²² Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" ²³ And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" ²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood;Some manuscripts this righteous blood, or this righteous man's blood see to it yourselves." ²⁵ And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

²⁶ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourgedA Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing imbedded pieces of bone and metal Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. ²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters,Greek the praetorium and they gathered the whole battalionGreek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men before him. ²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

³² As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.

³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." ⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ⁴² "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" ⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hourThat is, noon there was darkness over all the landOr earth until the ninth hour.That is, 3 p.m. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ⁴⁷ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."

⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. ⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the SonOr a son of God!" ⁵⁵ There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, ⁵⁶ among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹ And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud ⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Message

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27¹ In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. ² Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.

The Death of Judas

³ Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, ⁴ saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man." They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!" ⁵ Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself. ⁶ The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this - a payment for murder! - as an offering in the Temple." ⁷ They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. ⁸ That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. ⁹ Then Jeremiah's words became history: They took the thirty silver pieces, The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel, ¹⁰ And they purchased the potter's field. And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" Jesus said, "If you say so." ¹² But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. ¹³ Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" ¹⁴ Jesus kept silence - not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹⁵ It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. ¹⁶ At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. ¹⁷ With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" ¹⁸ He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him. ¹⁹ While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him." ²⁰ Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. ²¹ The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?" They said, "Barabbas!" ²² "Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?" They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!" ²³ He objected, "But for what crime?" But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!" ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury." ²⁵ The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."

²⁶ Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion. ²⁷ The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. ²⁸ They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. ²⁹ They plaited a crown from branches of a thorn bush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" ³⁰ Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. ³¹ When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.

The Crucifixion

³² Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross.

³³ Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," ³⁴ they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it. ³⁵ After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. ^{36  37} Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸ Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. ³⁹ People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: ⁴⁰ "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days - so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" ⁴¹ The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: ⁴² "He saved others - he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! ⁴³ He was so sure of God - well, let him rescue his 'Son' now - if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" ⁴⁴ Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery. ⁴⁵ From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. ⁴⁶ Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" ⁴⁷ Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." ⁴⁸ One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. ⁴⁹ The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him."

⁵⁰ But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last. ⁵¹ At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. ⁵² What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. ⁵³ (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.) ⁵⁴ The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!" ⁵⁵ There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate granted his request. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, ⁶⁰ put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. ⁶¹ But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.

New King James Version

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27¹ When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. ² And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

The Death of Judas

³ Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" ⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." ⁷ And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, ¹⁰ and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" So Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. ¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. ¹⁶ And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him." ²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!" ²² Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!" ²³ Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!" ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it." ²⁵ And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. ²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. ²⁸ And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹ When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ³⁰ Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. ³¹ And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

³² Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.

³³ And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, ³⁴ they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. ³⁵ Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." ³⁶ Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷ And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. ³⁹ And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." ⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴² "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. ⁴³ He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " ⁴⁴ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" ⁴⁷ Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."

⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. ⁵¹ Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" ⁵⁵ And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, ⁵⁶ among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. ⁵⁹ When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹ And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

New Living Translation

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27¹ Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. ² Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

The Death of Judas

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. ⁴ "I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem." ⁵ Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. ⁶ The leading priests picked up the coins. "It wouldn't be right to put this money in the Temple treasury," they said, "since it was payment for murder." ⁷ After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. ⁸ That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. ⁹ This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, "They took the thirty pieces of silver- the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and purchased the potter's field, as the Lord directed. "

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him. Jesus replied, "You have said it." ¹² But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. ¹³ "Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?" Pilate demanded. ¹⁴ But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹⁵ Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd-anyone they wanted. ¹⁶ This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. ¹⁷ As the crowds gathered before Pilate's house that morning, he asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you-Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" ¹⁸ (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.) ¹⁹ Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night." ²⁰ Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. ²¹ So the governor asked again, "Which of these two do you want me to release to you?" The crowd shouted back, "Barabbas!" ²² Pilate responded, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" ²³ "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!" ²⁴ Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. The responsibility is yours!" ²⁵ And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death-we and our children!"

²⁶ So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. ²⁷ Some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹ They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!" ³⁰ And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. ³¹ When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

³² Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

³³ And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). ³⁴ The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. ³⁶ Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. ³⁷ A sign was fastened above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against him. It read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." ³⁸ Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. ⁴⁰ "Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!" ⁴¹ The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. ⁴² "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! ⁴³ He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" ⁴⁴ Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. ⁴⁵ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. ⁴⁶ At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" ⁴⁷ Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ⁴⁸ One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest said, "Wait! Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him."

⁵⁰ Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, ⁵² and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. ⁵³ They left the cemetery after Jesus' resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴ The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man truly was the Son of God!" ⁵⁵ And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, ⁵⁸ went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰ He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. ⁶¹ Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

Other Translations of Mark 15:1-47

King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

15¹ And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. ² And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. ⁴ And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. ⁵ But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

⁶ Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. ⁸ And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. ¹¹ But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. ¹² And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? ¹³ And they cried out again, Crucify him. ¹⁴ Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

¹⁵ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. ¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; Praetorium: or, the palace, or, hall of audience and they call together the whole band. ¹⁷ And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, ¹⁸ And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! ¹⁹ And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

²¹ And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

²² And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. ²³ And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. ²⁴ And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. ²⁵ And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. ²⁶ And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷ And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. ²⁸ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. ²⁹ And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, ³⁰ Save thyself, and come down from the cross. ³¹ Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. ³² Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

³³ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ³⁵ And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. ³⁶ And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. ³⁷ And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. ³⁸ And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. ⁴⁰ There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; ⁴¹ (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. ⁴⁵ And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

English Standard Version

Jesus before Pilate

15¹ And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. ² And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." ⁵ But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

⁶ Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. ⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ⁹ And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. ¹² And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" ¹³ And they cried out again, "Crucify him." ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him."

¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourgedA Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing imbedded pieces of bone and metal Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. ¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters),Greek the praetorium and they called together the whole battalion.Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men ¹⁷ And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

²¹ And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

²² And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). ²³ And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. ²⁵ And it was the third hourThat is, 9 a.m. when they crucified him. ²⁶ And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." ²⁷ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "He was numbered with the transgressors" ²⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!" ³¹ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

³³ And when the sixth hourThat is, noon had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.That is, 3 p.m. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ³⁵ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah." ³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." ³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way heSome manuscripts insert cried out and breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the SonOr a son of God!" ⁴⁰ There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.Or Pilate wondered whether he had already died And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. ⁴⁵ And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And JosephGreek he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

The Message

Jesus before Pilate

15¹ At dawn's first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate. ² Pilate asked him, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" ³ The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations. ⁴ Pilate asked again, "Aren't you going to answer anything? That's quite a list of accusations." ⁵ Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

⁶ It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. ⁷ There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. ⁸ As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, ⁹ Pilate anticipated them: "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" ¹⁰ Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. ¹² Pilate came back, "So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?" ¹³ They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!" ¹⁴ Pilate objected, "But for what crime?" But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"

¹⁵ Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion. ¹⁶ The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. ¹⁷ They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thorn bush on his head. ¹⁸ Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. ²⁰ After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.

The Crucifixion

²¹ There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross.

²² The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." ²³ They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. ²⁴ And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them. ²⁵ They nailed him up at nine o'clock in the morning. ²⁶ The charge against him - the king of the jews - was printed on a poster. ²⁷ Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. ²⁹ People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days - ³⁰ so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" ³¹ The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others - but he can't save himself! ³² Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We'll all become believers then!" Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.

³³ At noon the sky became extremely dark. ³⁴ The darkness lasted three hours. At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" ³⁵ Some of the bystanders who heard him said, "Listen, he's calling for Elijah." ³⁶ Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down." ³⁷ But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. ³⁸ At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. ³⁹ When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, "This has to be the Son of God!" ⁴⁰ There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁴⁴ Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. ⁴⁵ Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse. ⁴⁶ Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.

New King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

15¹ Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. ² Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered and said to him, "It is as you say." ³ And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. ⁴ Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!" ⁵ But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

⁶ Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" ¹³ So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" ¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"

¹⁵ So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. ¹⁶ Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. ¹⁷ And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, ¹⁸ and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The Crucifixion

²¹ Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

²² And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. ²³ Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. ²⁴ And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. ²⁵ Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. ²⁶ And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷ With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. ²⁸ So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." ²⁹ And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" ³¹ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

³³ Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" ³⁵ Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!" ³⁶ Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down." ³⁷ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. ³⁸ Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" ⁴⁰ There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, ⁴¹ who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. ⁴⁵ So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

New Living Translation

Jesus before Pilate

15¹ Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law-the entire high council -met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. ² Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You have said it." ³ Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, ⁴ and Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?" ⁵ But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate's surprise.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

⁶ Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner-anyone the people requested. ⁷ One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. ⁸ The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual. ⁹ "Would you like me to release to you this 'King of the Jews'?" Pilate asked. ¹⁰ (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) ¹¹ But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. ¹² Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?" ¹³ They shouted back, "Crucify him!" ¹⁴ "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵ So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. ¹⁶ The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor's headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. ¹⁸ Then they saluted him and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. ²⁰ When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

²¹ A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)

²² And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). ²³ They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. ²⁴ Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. ²⁵ It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ A sign announced the charge against him. It read, "The King of the Jews." ²⁷ Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^{28  29} The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. ³⁰ Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!" ³¹ The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!" Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

³³ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. ³⁴ Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" ³⁵ Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ³⁶ One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. "Wait!" he said. "Let's see whether Elijah comes to take him down!" ³⁷ Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!" ⁴⁰ Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph ), and Salome. ⁴¹ They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) ⁴⁴ Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. ⁴⁵ The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. ⁴⁶ Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid.

Other Translations of Luke 23:1-56

King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

23¹ And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. ³ And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. ⁴ Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. ⁵ And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

Jesus before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. ⁹ Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. ¹¹ And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. ¹² And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹³ And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: ¹⁵ No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. ¹⁶ I will therefore chastise him, and release him. ¹⁷ (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) ¹⁸ And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: ¹⁹ (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) ²⁰ Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. ²¹ But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. ²² And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. ²³ And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. ²⁵ And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. ²⁷ And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. ²⁸ But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. ²⁹ For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. ³⁰ Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. ³¹ For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

³² And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. ³³ And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, Calvary: or, The place of a skull there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. ³⁶ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, ³⁷ And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. ³⁸ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁹ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. ⁴⁰ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. ⁴² And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. ⁴³ And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth earth: or, land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. ⁴⁸ And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰ And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: ⁵¹ (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. ⁵³ And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. ⁵⁴ And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. ⁵⁵ And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶ And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

English Standard Version

Jesus before Pilate

23¹ Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." ³ And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." ⁴ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man. ⁵ But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place."

Jesus before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. ⁹ So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹² And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹³ Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him ¹⁵ Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ¹⁶ I will therefore punish and release him."Here, or after verse 19, some manuscripts add verse 17: Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival ¹⁸ But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"-- ¹⁹ a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder ²⁰ Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹ but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him! ²² A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." ²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. ²⁸ But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' ³⁰  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' ³¹ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

³² Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus... what they do And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him,Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew"This is the King of the Jews. ³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,Or blasphemed him saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." ⁴² And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." ⁴³ And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour,That is, noon and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,That is, 3 p.m. ⁴⁵ while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" ⁴⁸ And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances and 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, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.Greek was dawning ⁵⁵ The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Message

Jesus before Pilate

23¹ Then they all took Jesus to Pilate ² and began to bring up charges against him. They said, "We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King." ³ Pilate asked him, "Is this true that you're 'King of the Jews'?" "Those are your words, not mine," Jesus replied. ⁴ Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, "I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me. ⁵ But they were vehement. "He's stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He's a dangerous man, endangering the peace."

Jesus before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard that, he asked, "So, he's a Galilean?" ⁷ Realizing that he properly came under Herod's jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days. ⁸ Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he'd heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. ⁹ He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn't answer - not one word. ¹⁰ But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations. ¹¹ Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹³ Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others ¹⁴ and said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge ¹⁵ And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. ¹⁶ I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." ¹⁸ At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!" ¹⁹ (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder. ²⁰ Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. ²¹ But they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him! ²² He tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go." ²³ But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. ²⁴ Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. ²⁵ He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. ²⁷ A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. ²⁸ At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ The time is coming when they'll say, 'Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!' ³⁰ Then they'll start calling to the mountains, 'Fall down on us!' calling to the hills, 'Cover us up!' ³¹ If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they'll do with deadwood?"

³² Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution. ³³ When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing." ³⁵ The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, "He saved others. Let's see him save himself! The Messiah of God - ha! The Chosen - ha!" ³⁶ The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine ³⁷ "So you're King of the Jews! Save yourself!" ³⁸ Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews ³⁹ One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!" ⁴⁰ But the other one made him shut up: "Have you no fear of God? You're getting the same as him. ⁴¹ We deserve this, but not him - he did nothing to deserve this." ⁴² Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom." ⁴³ He said, "Don't worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."

⁴⁴ By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours - ⁴⁵ a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. ⁴⁶ Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!" ⁴⁸ All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. ⁴⁹ Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰ There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. ⁵¹ He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. ⁵² He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. ⁵⁴ It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin. ⁵⁵ The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was placed. ⁵⁶ Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.

New King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

23¹ Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. ² And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." ³ Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." ⁴ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man. ⁵ But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."

Jesus before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. ⁹ Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. ¹¹ Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹³ Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" ¹⁷ (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast). ¹⁸ And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"-- ¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder ²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him! ²² Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go." ²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. ²⁵ And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. ²⁷ And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' ³⁰ Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' ³¹ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

³² There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." ³⁸ And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS ³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." ⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." ⁴³ And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

⁴⁴ Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷ So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" ⁴⁸ And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. ⁴⁹ But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰ Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. ⁵¹ He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴ That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. ⁵⁵ And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

New Living Translation

Jesus before Pilate

23¹ Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. ² They began to state their case: "This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king." ³ So Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You have said it." ⁴ Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, "I find nothing wrong with this man!" ⁵ Then they became insistent. "But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes-all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!"

Jesus before Herod

⁶ "Oh, is he a Galilean?" Pilate asked. ⁷ When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. ⁸ Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. ⁹ He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. ¹⁰ Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. ¹² (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)

Jesus Sentenced to Die

¹³ Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, ¹⁴ and he announced his verdict. "You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. ¹⁵ Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. ¹⁶ So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him." ^{17  18} Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, "Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!" ¹⁹ (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. ²¹ But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" ²² For the third time he demanded, "Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him." ²³ But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. ²⁵ As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

The Crucifixion

²⁶ As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. ²⁸ But Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For the days are coming when they will say, 'Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.' ³⁰ People will beg the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and plead with the hills, 'Bury us.' ³¹ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? "

³² Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. ³³ When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified-one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. ³⁵ The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One." ³⁶ The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. ³⁷ They called out to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" ³⁸ A sign was fastened above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews." ³⁹ One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself-and us, too, while you're at it!" ⁴⁰ But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? ⁴¹ We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." ⁴² Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." ⁴³ And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

⁴⁴ By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. ⁴⁵ The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, "Surely this man was innocent. " ⁴⁸ And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. ⁴⁹ But Jesus' friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰ Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, ⁵¹ but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. ⁵² He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁵³ Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. ⁵⁴ This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin. ⁵⁵ As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.

Other Translations of John 18:28-40

King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸ Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. ²⁹ Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? ³⁰ They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. ³¹ Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: ³² That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. ³³ Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? ³⁴ Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? ³⁵ Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? ³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. ³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. ³⁸ Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

³⁹ But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? ⁴⁰ Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

English Standard Version

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters.Greek the praetorium It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" ³⁰ They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." ³¹ Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." ³² This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" ³⁴ Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" ³⁵ Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world-- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." ³⁸ Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

³⁹ But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" ⁴⁰ They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.Or an insurrectionist

The Message

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸ They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor's palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn't enter the palace because they didn't want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and spoke. "What charge do you bring against this man?" ³⁰ They said, "If he hadn't been doing something evil, do you think we'd be here bothering you?" ³¹ Pilate said, "You take him. Judge him by your law." ³² (This would confirm Jesus' word indicating the way he would die.) ³³ Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" ³⁴ Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" ³⁵ Pilate said, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?" ³⁶ "My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king." ³⁷ Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?" Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice." ³⁸ Pilate said, "What is truth?" Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, "I find nothing wrong in this man."

Jesus Sentenced to Die

³⁹ It's your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the 'King of the Jews'?" ⁴⁰ They shouted back, "Not this one, but Barabbas!" Barabbas was a Jewish freedom fighter.

New King James Version

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ²⁹ Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" ³⁰ They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you." ³¹ Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," ³² that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. ³³ Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" ³⁴ Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" ³⁵ Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." ³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." ³⁸ Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

³⁹ "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" ⁴⁰ Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

New Living Translation

Jesus before Pilate

²⁸ Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man?" ³⁰ "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted. ³¹ "Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them. "Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied. ³² (This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he would die. ) ³³ Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" he asked him. ³⁴ Jesus replied, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?" ³⁵ "Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." ³⁷ Pilate said, "So you are a king?" Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true." ³⁸ "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

³⁹ But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this 'King of the Jews'?" ⁴⁰ But they shouted back, "No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!" (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)