23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.^{(A) 2} And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.^(B) He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar^(C) and claims to be Messiah, a king.”^(D)

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

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”^(E)

⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee^(F) and has come all the way here.”

⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.^{(G) 7} When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,^(H) who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.^(I) From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.^{(J) 10} The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe,^(K) they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends^(L)—before this they had been enemies.

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.^{(M) 15} Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him^(N) and then release him.” ^[17] [a]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{(O) 19} (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^(P)

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(Q)

²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,^(R) who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{(S) 27} A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed^(T) for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.^{(U) 29} For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’^{(V) 30} Then

³¹ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^(X)

³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.^{(Y) 33} When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father,^(Z) forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[c](AA) And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^(AB)

³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.^(AC) They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”^(AD)

³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him.^(AE) They offered him wine vinegar^{(AF) 37} and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,^(AG) save yourself.”

³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.^(AH)

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”^(AI)

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”^(AJ)

⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[d]”^(AK)

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^(AL)

The Death of Jesus^(AM)

⁴⁴ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,^{(AN) 45} for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple^(AO) was torn in two.^{(AP) 46} Jesus called out with a loud voice,^(AQ) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”^[e](AR) When he had said this, he breathed his last.^(AS)

⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God^(AT) and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts^(AU) and went away. ⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,^(AV) stood at a distance,^(AW) watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus^(AX)

⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.^{(AY) 52} Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day,^(AZ) and the Sabbath was about to begin.

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee^(BA) followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.^(BB) But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.^(BC)