路加福音 23
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
耶穌被押交彼拉多(A)
23 眾人都起來，把耶穌押到彼拉多那裡， 2 控告他說：“我們查出這個人煽惑我們的同胞，阻止納稅給凱撒，並且自稱是基督，是王。” 3 彼拉多問他：“你是猶太人的王嗎？”耶穌回答：“你已經說了（“你已經說了”或譯：“這是你說的”）。” 4 彼拉多對祭司長和眾人說：“我在這人身上，查不出有甚麼罪。” 5 但他們極力說：“他在猶太全地教導人，煽動群眾，從加利利直到這裡。”
希律王藐視耶穌
6 彼拉多聽見了，就問耶穌是不是加利利人。 7 既然知道他是屬於希律管轄的，就把他送回希律那裡；那時希律正在耶路撒冷。 8 希律看見耶穌，非常歡喜，因為他曾經聽過耶穌的事，早就想要見他，希望看他行個神蹟。 9 於是他問了耶穌許多話，但耶穌甚麼也不回答。 10 祭司長和經學家站著，猛烈地控告他。 11 希律和他的侍衛就藐視耶穌，戲弄他，給他穿上華麗的衣服，把他送回彼拉多那裡。 12 希律和彼拉多從前原是彼此為仇，在那一天就成了朋友。
彼拉多判耶穌釘十字架(B)
13 彼拉多召集了祭司長、官長和民眾， 14 對他們說：“你們把這人押到我這裡來，說他煽惑群眾，我已經在你們面前審訊過，在他身上一點也找不到你們控告他的罪狀， 15 連希律也找不到，又把他送回我這裡，可見他沒有作過該死的事。 16 我要責打他，然後把他釋放。”（有些抄本有第17節：“每逢節期，他必須照例給他們釋放一個囚犯。”也有些抄本把這句放在第19節後） 18 眾人齊聲喊叫：“除掉這個人，給我們釋放巴拉巴！” 19 這巴拉巴是因為在城裡作亂殺人而入獄的。 20 彼拉多再向他們說明，願意釋放耶穌。 21 然而他們高聲呼叫：“把他釘十字架，把他釘十字架！” 22 彼拉多第三次對他們說：“這人作過甚麼惡事呢？我在他身上找不出甚麼該死的罪。所以我要責打他，然後把他釋放。” 23 但他們大聲吵鬧，要他把耶穌釘十字架，他們的聲音就得了勝。 24 彼拉多就宣判，照他們的要求， 25 把他們所求那作亂殺人入獄的釋放了，卻把耶穌交出來，隨他們的意思處理。
耶穌被釘十字架(C)
26 他們把耶穌帶走的時候，抓住了一個從鄉下來的古利奈人西門，把十字架放在他身上，叫他背著跟在耶穌後面。 27 一大群人跟隨他，有些婦女為他捶胸痛哭。 28 耶穌轉過身來對她們說：“耶路撒冷的女兒啊，不要為我哭，卻要為你們自己和你們的兒女哭。 29 日子將到，人必說：‘不生育的和沒有懷過胎的，也沒有哺養過嬰兒的有福了。’
30 那時人要對大山說：
‘倒在我們身上！’
對小山說：
‘遮蓋我們！’
31 他們在青綠的樹上，既然這樣作；在枯乾的樹上，又會怎樣呢？”
32 他們另外帶來兩個犯人，和耶穌一同處死， 33 到了那名叫“髑髏”的地方，就把耶穌釘在十字架上，也釘了那兩個犯人，一左一右。 34 耶穌說：“父啊，赦免他們！因為他們不知道自己所作的是甚麼。”士兵抽籤，分了他的衣服。 35 群眾站著觀看，官長們嗤笑說：“他救了別人，如果他是基督，是 神所揀選的，讓他救自己吧！” 36 士兵也上前戲弄他，拿酸酒給他喝， 37 說：“如果你是猶太人的王，救你自己吧！” 38 在耶穌的頭以上有一個牌子寫著：“這是猶太人的王。”
39 懸掛著的犯人中，有一個侮辱他說：“你不是基督嗎？救你自己和我們吧！” 40 另一個就應聲責備他說：“你是同樣受刑的，還不懼怕 神嗎？ 41 我們是罪有應得的。我們所受的與所作的相稱，然而這個人並沒有作過甚麼不對的事。” 42 他又對耶穌說：“耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我。” 43 耶穌對他說：“我實在告訴你，今天你必定同我在樂園裡了。”
耶穌死時的情形(D)
44 從大約正午直到下午三點鐘，遍地都黑暗了。 45 太陽沒有光，聖所的幔子從當中裂開。 46 耶穌大聲呼叫：“父啊，我把我的靈魂交在你手裡。”說了這話，氣就斷了。 47 百夫長看見所發生的事，就頌讚 神，說：“這真是個義人！” 48 聚集觀看的群眾，看見所發生的事，都捶著胸回去了。 49 與耶穌熟悉的人，和從加利利跟隨他來的婦女，都遠遠地站著，看這些事。
耶穌葬在墳墓裡(E)
50 有一個人名叫約瑟，是個議員，為人良善公義， 51 是猶太地亞利馬太城的人，一向等候 神的國，並不附和眾人的計謀和行為。 52 這人去見彼拉多，求領耶穌的身體。 53 他把身體取下來，用細麻布裹好，放在從石頭鑿出來的墳墓裡，這墳墓是從來沒有葬過人的。 54 那天是預備日，安息日就要開始， 55 那些從加利利和耶穌一起來的婦女，跟著來了。她們看見了墳墓，和他的身體怎樣安葬， 56 就回去預備香料和香膏。
安息日，她們遵著誡命安息。
Luke 23
The Voice
23 So the whole council got up and took Jesus to Pilate. 2 They brought accusations against Him.
Sanhedrin: We have observed this man leading our nation astray. He even forbade us to pay our taxes to Caesar. He claims to be the Anointed One and a King Himself.
Pilate: 3 Are You the King of the Jews?
Jesus: It’s as you say.
Pilate (to the chief priest and crowd): 4 I find this man guilty of no crime.
Sanhedrin (growing more intense): 5 He has been stirring up discontent among the people all over Judea. He started up in Galilee, and now He’s brought His brand of trouble all the way to Jerusalem!
Pilate: 6 Just a minute. Is this man a Galilean?
7 When Pilate learned that Jesus was indeed Galilean—which meant He was officially under Herod’s jurisdiction—Pilate sent Him over to Herod, who was currently in Jerusalem. 8 Herod was fascinated to meet Jesus for he had heard about Him for a long time. He was hoping he might be treated to a miracle or two. 9 He interrogated Jesus for quite a while, but Jesus remained silent, refusing to answer his questions. 10 Meanwhile the chief priests and religious scholars had plenty to say—angrily hurling accusations at Jesus.
11 Eventually Herod and his soldiers began to insult Jesus, mocking and degrading Him. They put expensive clothing on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 This ended a long-standing rift between Herod and Pilate; they became friends from that day forward.
13 Pilate assembled the chief priests and other Jewish authorities.
Pilate: 14 You presented this man to me as a rabble-rouser, but I examined Him in your presence and found Him not guilty of the charges you have leveled against Him. 15 Herod also examined Him and released Him to my custody. So He hasn’t done anything deserving the death penalty. 16 I’ll see to it that He is properly whipped and then let Him go.
[17 It was the custom for Pilate to set one prisoner free during the holiday festivities.][a]
Crowd (all shouting at once): 18 Away with this man! Free Barabbas instead!
Crucifixion is a favorite Roman punishment for insurrectionists, slaves, and prisoners of war. Anyone daring to defy the power and authority of Caesar is executed in this public and humiliating way. Jesus indeed is a revolutionary. He doesn’t come to proclaim a new religion, but a new kingdom—a new way of life. He is indeed a threat to Caesar’s way of doing things, a way that co-opts the religious leaders.
Jesus’ revolution is a peaceful revolution. He doesn’t advocate the use of violence—in fact, when one of His disciples uses the sword to try to protect Jesus from arrest, Jesus heals the “enemy” and rebukes His disciple. So Jesus doesn’t support the regime of Caesar or follow the usual violent path of revolution: He leads a revolutionary revolution—in a path of love, healing, justice, and reconciliation.
Jesus appropriates and transforms the symbol of their power into a symbol of His greater power. He makes the cross not the icon of violent domination, but the reverse. By hanging on the cross and speaking of forgiveness, Jesus shows that there is a greater power at work in the world than the power of domination: it’s the power of God’s saving and reconciling love.
19 Barabbas had been imprisoned after being convicted of an insurrection he had led in Jerusalem. He had also committed murder. 20 Pilate argued with them, wishing he could release Jesus, 21 but they wouldn’t be silenced.
Crowd (shouting): Crucify Him! Crucify Him!
Pilate (countering a third time): 22 Why? What has He done that is so evil? I have found in Him no offense worthy of capital punishment. As I said, I will punish Him and then release Him.
23 But they would not relent. They shouted louder and louder that He should be crucified, and eventually Pilate capitulated. 24 So he pronounced the punishment they demanded.
25 He released the rebel and murderer Barabbas—the insurrectionist they had pleaded for in His place—and he handed Jesus over to them to do with as they desired.
26 On the way to the place of crucifixion, they pulled a man from the crowd—his name was Simon of Cyrene, a person from the countryside who happened to be entering the city at that moment. They put Jesus’ cross on Simon’s shoulders, and he followed behind Jesus. 27 Along with Him was a huge crowd of common people, including many women shrieking and wailing in grief.
Jesus (to the people in the crowd): 28 Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me. Weep instead for yourselves and weep for your children. 29 Days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the infertile; blessed are the wombs that never bore a child; blessed are the breasts that never nursed an infant.” 30 People will beg the mountains, “Surround us!” They’ll plead with the hills, “Cover us!”[b] 31 For if they treat Me like this when I’m like green unseasoned wood, what will they do to a nation that’s ready to burn like seasoned firewood?
32 Jesus wasn’t the only one being crucified that day. There were two others, criminals, who were also being led to their execution. 33 When they came to the place known as “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, in the company of criminals, one to the right of Jesus and the other to His left.
Jesus: 34 [Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.][c]
Meanwhile they were drawing lots to see who would win Jesus’ clothing. 35 The crowd of people stood, watching.
Authorities (mocking Jesus): So He was supposed to rescue others, was He? He was supposed to be God’s Anointed, the Liberating King? Let’s see Him start by liberating Himself!
36 The soldiers joined in the mockery. First, they pretended to offer Him a soothing drink—but it was sour wine.
Soldiers: 37 Hey, if You’re the King of the Jews, why don’t You free Yourself!
38 Even the inscription they placed over Him was intended to mock Him—“This is the King of the Jews!” [This was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.][d]
39 One of the criminals joined in the cruel talk.
Cynical Criminal: You’re supposed to be the Anointed One, right? Well—do it! Rescue Yourself and us!
40 But the other criminal told him to be quiet.
Believing Criminal: Don’t you have any fear of God at all? You’re getting the same death sentence He is! 41 We’re getting what we deserve since we’ve committed crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong at all! 42 (turning to Jesus) Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, please remember me.
Jesus: 43 I promise you that this very day you will be with Me in paradise.
44 At this point, it was about noon, and a darkness fell over the whole region. The darkness persisted until about three in the afternoon, 45 and at some point during this darkness, the curtain in the temple was torn in two.
The tearing of this heavy curtain in the temple is highly symbolic. Because this curtain separated the holiest place in the temple from the rest of the temple, some see in this act a symbol of God opening the way for unholy humans to enter into His holy presence: Jesus’ death brought forgiveness and opened the way for all to come to God. Others see in the curtain’s being torn the opposite meaning: God’s presence can no longer be confined to any single geographical place. The suffering and death of Jesus ended one age of human history, and now a new era has begun. Now God is on the move, at large, invading the whole world. Or perhaps this graphic image means both.
Jesus (shouting out loudly): 46 Father, I entrust My spirit into Your hands![e]
And with those words, He exhaled—and breathed no more.
47 The Centurion[f]—one of the soldiers who performed the execution—saw all this, and he praised God.
Centurion: No doubt, this man must have been innocent.
48 The crowds of common people who had gathered and watched the whole ordeal through to its conclusion left for their homes, pounding on their own chests in profound grief. 49 And all who knew Jesus personally, including the group of women who had been with Him from the beginning in Galilee, stood at a distance, watching all of these things unfold.
50 Meanwhile a man named Joseph had been at work. He was a member of the council, a good and fair man, 51 from a Judean town called Arimathea. He had objected to the plans and actions of the council; he was seeking the kingdom of God. 52 He had gone to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 He removed the body from the cross and wrapped it in a shroud made of fine linen. He then laid the body in a cavelike tomb cut from solid rock, a tomb that never had been used before. 54 It was Preparation Day—the day before the holy Sabbath—and it was about to begin at sundown. 55 The women who had accompanied Jesus from the beginning in Galilee now came, took note of where the tomb was and how His body had been prepared, 56 then left to prepare spices and ointments for His proper burial. They ceased their work on the Sabbath so they could rest as the Hebrew Scriptures required.
Footnotes
- 23:17 The earliest manuscripts omit verse 17.
- 23:30 Hosea 10:8
- 23:34 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.
- 23:38 Some early manuscripts omit this portion.
- 23:46 Psalm 31:5
- 23:47 A Roman military officer in charge of 100 soldiers
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.