The Crown of Thorns

19 So Pilate then took Jesus and [a](A)had Him flogged. (B)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a purple [b]cloak on Him; and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “(C)Hail, King of the Jews!” and (D)slapped Him in the face again and again. And then Pilate (E)came out again and *said to them, “See, I am bringing Him out to you so that you will know that (F)I find no grounds at all for charges in [c]His case.” Jesus then came out, (G)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the (H)officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for (I)I find no grounds for charges in [d]His case!” The Jews answered him, “(J)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He (K)made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he (L)entered the [e]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But (M)Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered him, (N)You would have no authority [f]over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason (O)the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this, Pilate [g]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “(P)If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king [h]opposes Caesar!”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and (Q)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [i]The Pavement—but (R)in [j]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was (S)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [k](T)sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, (U)your King!” 15 So they shouted, “(V)Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”

The Crucifixion

16 So he then (W)handed Him over to them to be crucified.

17 (X)They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, [l](Y)carrying His own cross, to the place called (Z)the Place of a Skull, which (AA)in [m]Hebrew is called, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him (AB)two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Now Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written: “(AC)JESUS THE NAZARENE, (AD)THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written (AE)in [n]Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘(AF)The King of the Jews’; rather, write that He said, ‘I am (AG)King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “(AH)What I have written, I have written.”

23 Then (AI)the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made (AJ)four parts: a part to each soldier, and the [o]tunic also; but the tunic was seamless, woven [p]in one piece. 24 So they said to one another, “(AK)Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.” (AL)This happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “They (AM)divided My garments among themselves, and they cast [q]lots for My clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

25 (AN)Now beside the cross of Jesus stood (AO)His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and (AP)Mary Magdalene. 26 So when Jesus saw His mother, and (AQ)the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, (AR)Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into (AS)his own household.

28 After this, Jesus, (AT)knowing that all things had already been accomplished, (AU)in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, *said, (AV)I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so (AW)they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, (AX)It is finished!” And He bowed His head and (AY)gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

31 Now then, since it was (AZ)the day of preparation, to prevent (BA)the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath ([r]for that Sabbath was a (BB)high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was (BC)crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately (BD)blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has (BE)testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place (BF)so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “(BG)Not a bone of Him shall be [s]broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “(BH)They will look at Him whom they pierced.”

38 Now (BI)after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a (BJ)secret one for (BK)fear of the [t]Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 (BL)Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, (BM)bringing a [u]mixture of (BN)myrrh and aloes, about a [v](BO)hundred litras weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and (BP)bound it in (BQ)linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a (BR)new tomb (BS)in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of (BT)preparation, since the tomb was (BU)nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. John 19:1 Lit flogged Him
  2. John 19:2 I.e., a Roman soldier’s cloak
  3. John 19:4 Lit Him
  4. John 19:6 Lit Him
  5. John 19:9 I.e., governor’s official residence
  6. John 19:11 Lit against
  7. John 19:12 Lit was seeking to
  8. John 19:12 Or speaks against
  9. John 19:13 Gr Lithostrotos
  10. John 19:13 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  11. John 19:14 I.e., about noon
  12. John 19:17 Or carrying the cross by Himself
  13. John 19:17 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  14. John 19:20 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  15. John 19:23 A long shirt worn next to the skin
  16. John 19:23 Lit from the upper part through the whole
  17. John 19:24 Lit a lot
  18. John 19:31 Lit for the day of that Sabbath was great
  19. John 19:36 Or crushed; or shattered
  20. John 19:38 I.e., the Jewish leaders
  21. John 19:39 Two early mss package of
  22. John 19:39 I.e., Roman libras (about 75 lb. or 34 kg)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(A) And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe.(B) They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face.(C) 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.”(D) So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate[a] said to them, “Behold the man!”(E) 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.”(F) 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.”(G)

Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.(H) 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.”(I) 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against Caesar.”(J)

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.(K) 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!”(L) 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 Caesar.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So they took Jesus,(M) 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.(N) 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.’ ”(O) 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”(P)

25 And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.(Q) 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”(R) 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.”(S) 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.(T)

Jesus’s Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed.(U) 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.(V) 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.(W) 35 (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows[g] that he tells the truth, so that you also may continue[h] to believe.)(X) 36 These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.”(Y) 37 And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”(Z)

The Burial of Jesus

38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.(AA) 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.(AB) 41 Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. 19.5 Gk He
  2. 19.13 Or seated him
  3. 19.13 That is, Aramaic
  4. 19.17 That is, Aramaic
  5. 19.19 Gk the Nazorean
  6. 19.20 That is, Aramaic
  7. 19.35 Or there is one who knows
  8. 19.35 Or may come

19 Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment.

And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith to them: Behold, I bring him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in him.

(Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: Behold the Man.

When the chief priests, therefore, and the servants, had seen him, they cried out, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Take him you, and crucify him: for I find no cause in him.

The Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he feared the more.

And he entered into the hall again, and he said to Jesus: Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Pilate therefore saith to him: Speakest thou not to me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee?

11 Jesus answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that hath delivered me to thee, hath the greater sin.

12 And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying: If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar.

13 Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha.

14 And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king.

15 But they cried out: Away with him; away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar.

16 Then therefore he delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him forth.

17 And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha.

18 Where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst.

19 And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20 This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.

21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews.

22 Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written.

23 The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

24 They said then one to another: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these things.

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.

26 When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.

27 After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

28 Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst.

29 Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth.

30 Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost.

31 Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

32 The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him.

33 But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

34 But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.

35 And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe.

36 For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him.

37 And again another scripture saith: They shall look on him whom they pierced.

38 And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

39 And Nicodemus also came, (he who at the first came to Jesus by night,) bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

40 They took therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

41 Now there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid.

42 There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

The Thorn Crown of the King

19 1-3 So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they greeted him with slaps in the face.

4-5 Pilate went back out again and said to them, “I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime.” Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe.

Pilate announced, “Here he is: the Man.”

When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Pilate told them, “You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him.”

The Jews answered, “We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8-9 When Pilate heard this, he became even more scared. He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, “Where did you come from?”

Jesus gave no answer.

10 Pilate said, “You won’t talk? Don’t you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to—crucify you?”

11 Jesus said, “You haven’t a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven. That’s why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far greater fault.”

12 At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the Jews shouted him down: “If you pardon this man, you’re no friend of Caesar’s. Anyone setting himself up as ‘king’ defies Caesar.”

13-14 When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king.”

15 They shouted back, “Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!”

Pilate said, “I am to crucify your king?”

The high priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”

16-19 Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

They took Jesus away. Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read:

jesus the nazarene
the king of the jews.

20-21 Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. “Don’t write,” they said to Pilate, “‘The King of the Jews.’ Make it, ‘This man said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”

22 Pilate said, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”

23-24 When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, “Let’s not tear it up. Let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This confirmed the Scripture that said, “They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat.” (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)

24-27 While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.

28 Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, “I’m thirsty.”

29-30 A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done . . . complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

31-34 Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn’t stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.

35 The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.

36-37 These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, “Not a bone in his body was broken,” and the other Scripture that reads, “They will stare at the one they pierced.”

* * *

38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.

39-42 Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus’ body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.