John 19:31-37

International Standard Version

Jesus’ Side is Pierced

³¹ Since it was the Preparation Day, the Jewish leaders^[a] did not want to leave the bodies on the crosses during the Sabbath, because that was a particularly important Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and the bodies^[b] removed. ³² So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with him. 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 blood and water immediately came out. ³⁵ The one who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows he is telling the truth so that you, too, may believe, ³⁶ because these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled:

³⁷ In addition, another passage of Scripture says,