₁The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, ₂where they began to accuse him: “We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

₃Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“So you say,” answered Jesus.

₄Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to condemn this man.”

₅But they insisted even more strongly, “With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.”

₆When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man a Galilean?” ₇When he learnt that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ₈Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. ₉So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. ₁₀The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. ₁₁Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. ₁₂On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

₁₃Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ₁₄and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. ₁₅Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. ₁₆So I will have him whipped and let him go.”

₁₈The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” ₁₉(Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

₂₀Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. ₂₁But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

₂₂Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.”

₂₃But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. ₂₄So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. ₂₅He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.

₂₆The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.

₂₇A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. ₂₈Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem! Don't cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. ₂₉For the days are coming when people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!’ ₃₀That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Hide us!’ ₃₁For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

₃₂Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. ₃₃When they came to the place called “The Skull”, they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. ₃₄Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”

They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. ₃₅The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders jeered at him: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!”

₃₆The soldiers also mocked him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, ₃₇and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!”

₃₈Above him were written these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

₃₉One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

₄₀The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. ₄₁Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” ₄₂And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!”

₄₃Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

_44-45It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. ₄₆Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.

₄₇The army officer saw what had happened, and he praised God, saying, “Certainly he was a good man!”

₄₈When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow. ₄₉All those who knew Jesus personally, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.