The Soldiers Mock Jesus(A)

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium(B) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,(C) 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.(D) 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.(E) 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(F)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(G)

32 As they were going out,(H) they met a man from Cyrene,(I) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.(J) 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).(K) 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;(L) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.(M) 36 And sitting down, they kept watch(N) over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him,(O) one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads(P) 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,(Q) save yourself!(R) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”(S) 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!(T) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe(U) in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him(V) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus(W)

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness(X) came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b](Y)

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,(Z) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.(AA)

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple(AB) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split(AC) 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city(AD) and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding(AE) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”(AF)

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.(AG) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.(AH)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
  2. Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
  3. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
  4. Matthew 27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters[a] 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,[b] 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.[c] 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[d] 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.

The Death of Jesus

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, “Eli, Eli,[e] lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[f]

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.”[g]

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[h] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 27:27 Or into the Praetorium.
  2. 27:32 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa.
  3. 27:35 Greek by casting lots. A few late manuscripts add This fulfilled the word of the prophet: “They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my robe.” See Ps 22:18.
  4. 27:38 Or criminals; also in 27:44.
  5. 27:46a Some manuscripts read Eloi, Eloi.
  6. 27:46b Ps 22:1.
  7. 27:49 Some manuscripts add And another took a spear and pierced his side, and out flowed water and blood. Compare John 19:34.
  8. 27:54 Greek The centurion.