Jesus Before Pilate^(A)

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(B)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{(C) 13} Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{(D) 14} But Jesus made no reply,^(E) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(F) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[a] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(G) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(H) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(I) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(J) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(K)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(L) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(M) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(N) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(O) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(P)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(Q)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(R) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(S)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium^(T) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,^{(U) 29} and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.^{(V) 30} They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.^{(W) 31} After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^(X)

The Death of Jesus^(A)

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness^(B) came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b](C)

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,^(D) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.^(E)

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple^(F) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split^{(G) 52} and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding^(A) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”^(B)

The Burial of Jesus^(A)

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb^(B) that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.