Luke 23
New Testament for Everyone
Jesus before Pilate and Herod
23 The whole crowd of them got up and took Jesus to Pilate.
2 They began to accuse him. “We found this fellow,” they said, “deceiving our nation! He was forbidding people to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is the Messiah—a king!”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “You are the king of the Jews?”
“You said it,” replied Jesus.
4 “I find no fault in this man,” said Pilate to the chief priests and the crowds. 5 But they became insistent.
“He’s stirring up the people,” they said, “teaching them throughout the whole of Judaea. He began in Galilee, and now he’s come here.”
6 When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was indeed a Galilean. 7 When he learned that he was from Herod’s jurisdiction he sent him to Herod, who happened also to be in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus he was delighted. He had been wanting to see him for quite some time now, since he’d heard about him, and had hoped to see him perform some sign or other. 9 He questioned him this way and that, but Jesus gave no answer at all. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, accusing him vehemently. 11 Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt; they ridiculed him by dressing him up in a splendid robe, and sent him back to Pilate. 12 And so it happened, that very day, that Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. Up until then, they had been enemies.
Pilate pressured by the crowds
13 So Pilate called the chief priests, the rulers and the people.
14 “You brought this man before me,” he said to them, “on the grounds that he was leading the people astray. Look here, then: I examined him in your presence and I found no evidence in him of the charges you’re bringing against him. 15 Nor did Herod; he sent him back to me. Look: there is no sign that he’s done anything to deserve death. 16 So I’m going to flog him and let him go.”
18 “Take him away!” they shouted out all together. “Release Barabbas for us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison because of an uprising that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate spoke to them again, with the intention of letting Jesus go, 21 but they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 “Why?” he said for the third time. “What’s he done wrong? I can’t find anything he’s done that deserves death, so I’m going to beat him and let him go.”
23 But they went on shouting out at the tops of their voices, demanding that he be crucified; and eventually their shouts won the day. 24 Pilate gave his verdict that their request should be granted. 25 He released the man they asked for, the one who’d been thrown into prison because of rebellion and murder, and gave Jesus over to their demands.
26 As they led him away, they grabbed a man from Cyrene called Simon, who was coming in to the city from the countryside, and they forced him to carry the crossbeam behind Jesus.
The crucifixion
27 A great crowd of the people followed Jesus, including women who were mourning and wailing for him. 28 Jesus turned and spoke to them.
“Daughters of Jerusalem,” he said, “don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves instead! Cry for your children! 29 Listen: the time is coming when you will say, ‘A blessing on the barren! A blessing on wombs that never bore children, and breasts that never nursed them!’ 30 At that time people will start to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 Yes: if this is what they do with the green tree, what will happen to the dry one?”
32 Two other criminals were taken away with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34 “Father,” said Jesus, “forgive them! They don’t know what they’re doing!”
They divided his clothes, casting lots for them.
35 The people stood around watching. The rulers hurled abuse at him.
“He rescued others,” they said, “let him try rescuing himself, if he really is the Messiah, God’s chosen one!”
36 The soldiers added their taunts, coming up and offering him cheap wine.
37 “If you’re the king of the Jews,” they said, “rescue yourself!”
38 The charge was written above him: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the bad characters who was hanging there began to insult him. “Aren’t you the Messiah?” he said. “Rescue yourself—and us, too!”
40 But the other one told him off. “Don’t you fear God?” he said. “You’re sharing the same fate that he is! 41 In our case it’s fair enough; we’re getting exactly what we asked for. But this fellow hasn’t done anything out of order.
42 “Jesus,” he went on, “remember me when you finally become king.”
43 “I’m telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “you’ll be with me in paradise, this very day.”
The death and burial of Jesus
44 By the time of the sixth hour, darkness came over all the land. 45 The sunlight vanished until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was ripped down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted out at the top of his voice, “Here’s my spirit, Father! You can take care of it now!” And with that he died.
47 The centurion saw what happened, and praised God.
“This fellow,” he said, “really was in the right.”
48 All the crowds who had come together for the spectacle saw what happened, and they went away beating their breasts. 49 Those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, remained at a distance and watched the scene.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council. He was a good and righteous man, 51 and had not given his consent to the court’s verdict or actions. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judaea, and he was longing for God’s kingdom. 52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He took it down, wrapped it in a shroud, and put it in a tomb hollowed out of the rock, where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.
55 The women who had followed Jesus, the ones who had come with him from Galilee, saw the tomb and how the body was laid. 56 Then they went back to prepare spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested, as the commandment specified.
Luke 23
World English Bible
23 The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
He answered him, “So you say.”
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
6 But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he found out that he was in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him. 9 He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. 11 Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. 15 Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
17 Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.[a] 18 But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”— 19 one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
20 Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus, 21 but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22 He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” 23 But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. 24 Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done. 25 He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.
26 When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry it after Jesus. 27 A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’(A) 31 For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”
32 There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death. 33 When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. 35 The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour,[b] and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.[c] 45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” 48 All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their chests. 49 All his acquaintances and the women who followed with him from Galilee stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Behold, there was a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for God’s Kingdom. 52 This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. 55 The women who had come with him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
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