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The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed

And you, O mortal, take a brick and set it before you. On it portray a city, Jerusalem; and put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a ramp against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. Then take an iron plate and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.

Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it; you shall bear their punishment for the number of the days that you lie there. For I assign to you a number of days, three hundred ninety days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment; and so you shall bear the punishment of the house of Israel. When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah; forty days I assign you, one day for each year. You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and with your arm bared you shall prophesy against it. See, I am putting cords on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege.

And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 The food that you eat shall be twenty shekels a day by weight; at fixed times you shall eat it. 11 And you shall drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; at fixed times you shall drink. 12 You shall eat it as a barley-cake, baking it in their sight on human dung. 13 The Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread, unclean, among the nations to which I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah Lord God! I have never defiled myself; from my youth up until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has carrion flesh come into my mouth.” 15 Then he said to me, “See, I will let you have cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.”

16 Then he said to me, Mortal, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17 Lacking bread and water, they will look at one another in dismay, and waste away under their punishment.

A Sword against Jerusalem

And you, O mortal, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber’s razor and run it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing, and divide the hair. One third of the hair you shall burn in the fire inside the city, when the days of the siege are completed; one third you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city;[a] and one third you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. Then you shall take from these a small number, and bind them in the skirts of your robe. From these, again, you shall take some, throw them into the fire and burn them up; from there a fire will come out against all the house of Israel.

Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. But she has rebelled against my ordinances and my statutes, becoming more wicked than the nations and the countries all around her, rejecting my ordinances and not following my statutes. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not followed my statutes or kept my ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations that are all around you; therefore thus says the Lord God: I, I myself, am coming against you; I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. And because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Surely, parents shall eat their children in your midst, and children shall eat their parents; I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to every wind. 11 Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations—therefore I will cut you down;[b] my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. 12 One third of you shall die of pestilence or be consumed by famine among you; one third shall fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to every wind and will unsheathe the sword after them.

13 My anger shall spend itself, and I will vent my fury on them and satisfy myself; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken in my jealousy, when I spend my fury on them. 14 Moreover I will make you a desolation and an object of mocking among the nations around you, in the sight of all that pass by. 15 You shall be[c] a mockery and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious punishments—I, the Lord, have spoken— 16 when I loose against you[d] my deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will let loose to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you, and break your staff of bread. 17 I will send famine and wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children; pestilence and bloodshed shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword upon you. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Judgment on Idolatrous Israel

The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I, I myself will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense stands shall be broken; and I will throw down your slain in front of your idols. I will lay the corpses of the people of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. Wherever you live, your towns shall be waste and your high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined,[e] your idols broken and destroyed, your incense stands cut down, and your works wiped out. The slain shall fall in your midst; then you shall know that I am the Lord.

But I will spare some. Some of you shall escape the sword among the nations and be scattered through the countries. Those of you who escape shall remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I was crushed by their wanton heart that turned away from me, and their wanton eyes that turned after their idols. Then they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this disaster upon them.

11 Thus says the Lord God: Clap your hands and stamp your foot, and say, Alas for all the vile abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 Those far off shall die of pestilence; those nearby shall fall by the sword; and any who are left and are spared shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing odor to all their idols. 14 I will stretch out my hand against them, and make the land desolate and waste, throughout all their settlements, from the wilderness to Riblah.[f] Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

Impending Disaster

The word of the Lord came to me: You, O mortal, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel:

An end! The end has come
    upon the four corners of the land.
Now the end is upon you,
    I will let loose my anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
    I will punish you for all your abominations.
My eye will not spare you, I will have no pity.
    I will punish you for your ways,
    while your abominations are among you.

Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

Thus says the Lord God:

Disaster after disaster! See, it comes.
    An end has come, the end has come.
It has awakened against you; see, it comes!
Your doom[g] has come to you,
    O inhabitant of the land.
The time has come, the day is near—
    of tumult, not of reveling on the mountains.
Soon now I will pour out my wrath upon you;
    I will spend my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your ways,
    and punish you for all your abominations.
My eye will not spare; I will have no pity.
    I will punish you according to your ways,
    while your abominations are among you.

Then you shall know that it is I the Lord who strike.

10 See, the day! See, it comes!
    Your doom[h] has gone out.
The rod has blossomed, pride has budded.
11     Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness.
None of them shall remain,
    not their abundance, not their wealth;
    no pre-eminence among them.[i]
12 The time has come, the day draws near;
    let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn,
    for wrath is upon all their multitude.

13 For the sellers shall not return to what has been sold as long as they remain alive. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not be revoked. Because of their iniquity, they cannot maintain their lives.[j]

14 They have blown the horn and made everything ready;
    but no one goes to battle,
    for my wrath is upon all their multitude.
15 The sword is outside, pestilence and famine are inside;
    those in the field die by the sword;
    those in the city—famine and pestilence devour them.
16 If any survivors escape,
    they shall be found on the mountains
    like doves of the valleys,
all of them moaning over their iniquity.
17 All hands shall grow feeble,
    all knees turn to water.
18 They shall put on sackcloth,
    horror shall cover them.
Shame shall be on all faces,
    baldness on all their heads.
19 They shall fling their silver into the streets,
    their gold shall be treated as unclean.

Their silver and gold cannot save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. 20 From their[k] beautiful ornament, in which they took pride, they made their abominable images, their detestable things; therefore I will make of it an unclean thing to them.

21 I will hand it over to strangers as booty,
    to the wicked of the earth as plunder;
    they shall profane it.
22 I will avert my face from them,
    so that they may profane my treasured[l] place;
the violent shall enter it,
    they shall profane it.
23 Make a chain![m]
For the land is full of bloody crimes;
    the city is full of violence.
24 I will bring the worst of the nations
    to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the strong,
    and their holy places shall be profaned.
25 When anguish comes, they will seek peace,
    but there shall be none.
26 Disaster comes upon disaster,
    rumor follows rumor;
they shall keep seeking a vision from the prophet;
    instruction shall perish from the priest,
    and counsel from the elders.
27 The king shall mourn,
    the prince shall be wrapped in despair,
    and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble.
According to their way I will deal with them;
    according to their own judgments I will judge them.

And they shall know that I am the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 5:2 Heb it
  2. Ezekiel 5:11 Another reading is I will withdraw
  3. Ezekiel 5:15 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb It shall be
  4. Ezekiel 5:16 Heb them
  5. Ezekiel 6:6 Syr Vg Tg: Heb and be made guilty
  6. Ezekiel 6:14 Another reading is Diblah
  7. Ezekiel 7:7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  8. Ezekiel 7:10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  9. Ezekiel 7:11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  10. Ezekiel 7:13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  11. Ezekiel 7:20 Syr Symmachus: Heb its
  12. Ezekiel 7:22 Or secret
  13. Ezekiel 7:23 Meaning of Heb uncertain

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

“Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp(A) up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.(B) Then take an iron pan,(C) place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward(D) it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign(E) to the people of Israel.(F)

“Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.[a] You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

“After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin(G) of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.(H) Turn your face(I) toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.(J)

“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt;(K) put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekels[b](L) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. 11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin[c] of water and drink it at set times.(M) 12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement(N) for fuel.” 13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”(O)

14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord!(P) I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead(Q) or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.(R)

15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

16 He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off(S) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,(T) 17 for food and water will be scarce.(U) They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of[d] their sin.(V)

God’s Razor of Judgment

“Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor(W) to shave(X) your head and your beard.(Y) Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. When the days of your siege come to an end, burn(Z) a third(AA) of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.(AB) For I will pursue them with drawn sword.(AC) But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.(AD) Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire(AE) and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.(AF) Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.(AG)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even[e] conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(AH)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations.(AI) Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.(AJ) 10 Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents.(AK) I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.(AL) 11 Therefore as surely as I live,(AM) declares the Sovereign(AN) Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary(AO) with all your vile images(AP) and detestable practices,(AQ) I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.(AR) 12 A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds(AS) and pursue with drawn sword.(AT)

13 “Then my anger will cease and my wrath(AU) against them will subside, and I will be avenged.(AV) And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal.(AW)

14 “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.(AX) 15 You will be a reproach(AY) and a taunt, a warning(AZ) and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke.(BA) I the Lord have spoken.(BB) 16 When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.(BC) 17 I will send famine and wild beasts(BD) against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed(BE) will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.(BF)

Doom for the Mountains of Israel

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face(BG) against the mountains(BH) of Israel; prophesy against them(BI) and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys:(BJ) I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.(BK) Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars(BL) will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.(BM) I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones(BN) around your altars.(BO) Wherever you live,(BP) the towns will be laid waste and the high places(BQ) demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols(BR) smashed and ruined, your incense altars(BS) broken down, and what you have made wiped out.(BT) Your people will fall slain(BU) among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(BV)

“‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape(BW) the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.(BX) Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember(BY) me—how I have been grieved(BZ) by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.(CA) They will loathe themselves for the evil(CB) they have done and for all their detestable practices.(CC) 10 And they will know that I am the Lord;(CD) I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.(CE)

11 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.(CF) 12 One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I pour out my wrath(CG) on them.(CH) 13 And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols(CI) around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak(CJ)—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.(CK) 14 And I will stretch out my hand(CL) against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah[f]—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(CM)’”

The End Has Come

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel:

“‘The end!(CN) The end has come
    upon the four corners(CO) of the land!
The end is now upon you,
    and I will unleash my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your conduct(CP)
    and repay you for all your detestable practices.(CQ)
I will not look on you with pity;(CR)
    I will not spare you.
I will surely repay you for your conduct
    and for the detestable practices among you.

“‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’(CS)

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Disaster!(CT) Unheard-of[g] disaster!
    See, it comes!
The end(CU) has come!
    The end has come!
It has roused itself against you.
    See, it comes!
Doom has come upon you,
    upon you who dwell in the land.
The time has come! The day(CV) is near!(CW)
    There is panic, not joy, on the mountains.
I am about to pour out my wrath(CX) on you
    and spend my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your conduct
    and repay you for all your detestable practices.(CY)
I will not look on you with pity;
    I will not spare you.(CZ)
I will repay you for your conduct
    and for the detestable practices among you.(DA)

“‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.(DB)

10 “‘See, the day!
    See, it comes!
Doom has burst forth,
    the rod(DC) has budded,
    arrogance has blossomed!
11 Violence(DD) has arisen,[h]
    a rod to punish the wicked.
None of the people will be left,
    none of that crowd—
none of their wealth,
    nothing of value.(DE)
12 The time has come!
    The day has arrived!
Let not the buyer(DF) rejoice
    nor the seller grieve,
    for my wrath is on the whole crowd.(DG)
13 The seller will not recover
    the property that was sold—
    as long as both buyer and seller live.
For the vision concerning the whole crowd
    will not be reversed.
Because of their sins, not one of them
    will preserve their life.(DH)

14 “‘They have blown the trumpet,(DI)
    they have made all things ready,
but no one will go into battle,
    for my wrath(DJ) is on the whole crowd.
15 Outside is the sword;
    inside are plague and famine.
Those in the country
    will die by the sword;
those in the city
    will be devoured by famine and plague.(DK)
16 The fugitives(DL) who escape
    will flee to the mountains.
Like doves(DM) of the valleys,
    they will all moan,
    each for their own sins.(DN)
17 Every hand will go limp;(DO)
    every leg will be wet with urine.(DP)
18 They will put on sackcloth(DQ)
    and be clothed with terror.(DR)
Every face will be covered with shame,
    and every head will be shaved.(DS)

19 “‘They will throw their silver into the streets,(DT)
    and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.
Their silver and gold
    will not be able to deliver them
    in the day of the Lord’s wrath.(DU)
It will not satisfy(DV) their hunger
    or fill their stomachs,
    for it has caused them to stumble(DW) into sin.(DX)
20 They took pride in their beautiful jewelry
    and used it to make(DY) their detestable idols.
They made it into vile images;(DZ)
    therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.(EA)
21 I will give their wealth as plunder(EB) to foreigners
    and as loot to the wicked of the earth,
    who will defile it.(EC)
22 I will turn my face(ED) away from the people,
    and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure.
They will enter it
    and will defile it.(EE)

23 “‘Prepare chains!
    For the land is full of bloodshed,(EF)
    and the city is full of violence.(EG)
24 I will bring the most wicked of nations
    to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the pride of the mighty,
    and their sanctuaries(EH) will be desecrated.(EI)
25 When terror comes,
    they will seek peace in vain.(EJ)
26 Calamity upon calamity(EK) will come,
    and rumor upon rumor.
They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,(EL)
    priestly instruction in the law will cease,
    the counsel of the elders will come to an end.(EM)
27 The king will mourn,
    the prince will be clothed with despair,(EN)
    and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.
I will deal with them according to their conduct,(EO)
    and by their own standards I will judge them.

“‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.(EP)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 4:4 Or upon your side
  2. Ezekiel 4:10 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  3. Ezekiel 4:11 That is, about 2/3 quart or about 0.6 liter
  4. Ezekiel 4:17 Or away in
  5. Ezekiel 5:7 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac You have
  6. Ezekiel 6:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts Riblah
  7. Ezekiel 7:5 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Disaster after
  8. Ezekiel 7:11 Or The violent one has become

28 The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance,
    for he keeps a strict account of[a] their sins.
Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done,
    and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Does anyone harbor anger against another,
    and expect healing from the Lord?
If one has no mercy toward another like himself,
    can he then seek pardon for his own sins?
If a mere mortal harbors wrath,
    who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?
Remember the end of your life, and set enmity aside;
    remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.
Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor;
    remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults.

Refrain from strife, and your sins will be fewer;
    for the hot-tempered kindle strife,
and the sinner disrupts friendships
    and sows discord among those who are at peace.
10 In proportion to the fuel, so will the fire burn,
    and in proportion to the obstinacy, so will strife increase;[b]
in proportion to a person’s strength will be his anger,
    and in proportion to his wealth he will increase his wrath.
11 A hasty quarrel kindles a fire,
    and a hasty dispute sheds blood.

The Evil Tongue

12 If you blow on a spark, it will glow;
    if you spit on it, it will be put out;
    yet both come out of your mouth.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 28:1 Other ancient authorities read for he firmly establishes
  2. Sirach 28:10 Other ancient authorities read burn
'Sirach 28:1-12' not found for the version: New International Version.

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters[a] again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat[b] on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew[c] Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So they took Jesus; 17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew[d] is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth,[e] the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,[f] in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 19:9 Gk the praetorium
  2. John 19:13 Or seated him
  3. John 19:13 That is, Aramaic
  4. John 19:17 That is, Aramaic
  5. John 19:19 Gk the Nazorean
  6. John 19:20 That is, Aramaic

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified(A)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(B) The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(C) And they slapped him in the face.(D)

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out(E) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”(F) When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,(G) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.(H) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”(I)

The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,(J) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”(K)

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace.(L) “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.(M) 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(N) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(O) is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king(P) opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat(Q) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic(R) is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation(S) of the Passover; it was about noon.(T)

“Here is your king,”(U) Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(V)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(W)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross,(X) he went out to the place of the Skull(Y) (which in Aramaic(Z) is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others(AA)—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth,(AB) the king of the jews.(AC) 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(AD) and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”(AE)

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

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