Mark 15-16

Tree of Life Version

Handed Over to the Romans

15 Right at daybreak, the ruling kohanim held a meeting to consult with the elders and Torah scholars and the whole Sanhedrin. They tied up Yeshua, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. ² Pilate interrogated Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Yeshua answers him, “As you say.”

³ The ruling kohanim began to accuse Him of many things. ⁴ Again, Pilate asked Him, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many charges they’re bringing against You!” ⁵ But Yeshua did not answer, so Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now during the feast, he used to release to them one prisoner, anyone they were asking for. ⁷ Now a man named Bar-Abba^[a] had been in jail with the rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion. ⁸ The crowd came up and began to request what he was accustomed to do for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he knew that out of envy the ruling kohanim had handed Him over. ¹¹ But the ruling kohanim stirred up the crowd, so he would release Bar-Abba to them instead.

¹² Then answering again, Pilate said to them, “So what do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”

¹³ They shouted back, “Execute Him!”

¹⁴ Pilate responded, “Why? What evil has He done?”

But they shouted all the more, “Execute Him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Bar-Abba for them. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

¹⁶ The soldiers took Him away, into the palace, the governor’s mansion called the Praetorium. And they call together the cohort^[b] of soldiers. ¹⁷ They dress Him up in purple. After braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on Him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Over and over, they kept hitting Him on the head with a staff and spitting on Him; and kneeling down, they worshiped Him. ²⁰ When they finished mocking Him, they stripped the purple off Him and put His own clothes back on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

Crucified as King of the Jews

²¹ Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming in from the countryside. The soldiers force this passerby to carry Yeshua’s cross-beam. ^{[c] 22} They bring Yeshua to the place called Golgotha (which is translated, Place of a Skull). ²³ They were offering Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He didn’t take it. ²⁴ Then they crucify Him and divide up His clothing among themselves, casting lots for them^[d] to see who should take what.

²⁵ Now it was the third hour^[e] when they nailed Him on the stake. ²⁶ And the inscription of the charge against Him was written above: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ²⁷ And with Him they execute two outlaws, one on His right and one on His left. (²⁸ )^[f]

²⁹ Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save Yourself by coming down from the stake!”

³¹ Likewise the ruling kohanim, along with the Torah scholars, were also mocking Him among themselves. “He saved others,” they were saying, “but He can’t save Himself? ³² Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the stake, so we may see and believe!” Even those executed with Him were ridiculing Him.

Death and Burial

³³ When the sixth hour had come, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. ^{[g] 34} At the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”^[h] which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”^[i]

³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah.” ³⁶ Then someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a stick and was offering it to Yeshua to drink, saying, “Wait, let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down.” ³⁷ But letting out a loud cry, Yeshua breathed His last.

³⁸ Then the curtain^[j] of the Temple was split in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion, who was standing in front of Him, saw the way Yeshua breathed His last, he said, “This Man really was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰ There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Miriam from Magdala, Miriam the mother of Jacob the younger and of Joses,^[k] and Salome. ⁴¹ They would follow Him and serve Him when He was in the Galilee. Many other women who had gone up together with Him to Jerusalem were there also.

⁴² Now evening had already come. Since it was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before Shabbat, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body.

⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether Yeshua had been dead for long. ⁴⁵ When Pilate learned this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Miriam from Magdala and Miriam the mother of Joses were watching where Yeshua’s body was placed.

The Empty Tomb

16 When Shabbat was over, Miriam of Magdala, Miriam the mother of Jacob, and Salome bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Yeshua’s body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they come to the tomb. ³ They were saying to each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

⁴ Looking up, they see that the stone (it was really huge) had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were startled. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Yeshua of Natzeret, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. ⁷ But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to the Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

⁸ And going outside, they fled from the tomb, gripped by trembling and amazement. They didn’t say anything to anybody, for they were afraid.

He Is Risen^[l]

⁹ After He had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Miriam of Magdala, from whom He had driven out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and brought word to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe.

¹² After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking on their way to the country. ¹³ They went and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. ¹⁴ Later He appeared to them, the eleven, as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardheartedness, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had been raised.

Tell the World!

¹⁵ He told them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to every creature. ¹⁶ He who believes and is immersed shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak new languages; ¹⁸ they will handle snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

¹⁹ Then the Lord Yeshua, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and proclaimed everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that follow.