Luke 23
Modern English Version
Jesus Brought Before Pilate(A)
23 Then the whole assembly rose and led Him to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this Man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ a King.”
3 So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
He answered, “You truly say so.”
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, “I find no fault in this Man.”
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to here.”
Jesus Before Herod
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the Man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he greatly rejoiced, for he had desired to see Him for a long time, because he had heard many things of Him, and he was hoping to see some miracle performed by Him. 9 He questioned Him with many words, but He gave no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. 11 Then Herod with his soldiers despised Him, and mocked Him, and dressed Him in a fine robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 On the same day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, having previously been at enmity with each other.
Jesus Sentenced to Die(B)
13 Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You have brought this Man to me as one who incites the people. And truly, I, having examined Him before you, have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him. 15 No, neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing worthy of death has been done by Him. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him.” 17 For he was obligated to release one man to them at the feast.
18 But they all cried out at once saying, “Take this Man away and release Barabbas to us!” 19 This man had been thrown in prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder.
20 Therefore Pilate spoke to them again, desiring to release Jesus. 21 But they cried out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
22 He said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found in Him no cause worthy of death. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him.”
23 But they insisted with loud voices, asking that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave the sentence as they demanded. 25 He released to them the man who was thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for. But he sentenced Jesus according to their will.
The Crucifixion(C)
26 As they led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him to carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and lamented Him. 28 Jesus turned to them, saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 Listen, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, who never bore and never nursed!’ 30 Then
they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’
31 For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two different men, who were criminals, also were led with Him to be killed. 33 When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they divided His clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood by watching. But the rulers with them scoffed, saying, “He saved others. Let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the Chosen One of God.”
36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him sour wine, 37 saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 An inscription was written over Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, seeing you are under the same sentence? 41 And we indeed, justly. For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. But this Man has done nothing amiss.”
42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
The Death of Jesus(D)
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun was darkened. And the veil of the temple was torn in the middle. 46 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He gave up the spirit.
47 When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God and said, “Certainly, this was a righteous Man.” 48 All the crowds who came together to that sight, witnessing what occurred, struck their chests and returned. 49 But all those who knew Him and the women accompanying Him from Galilee stood at a distance, seeing these things.
The Burial of Jesus(E)
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, who was a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their counsel and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, and he himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took Him down, and wrapped Him in linen, and placed Him in a hewn tomb, where no one had ever been buried. 54 It was the Day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.
55 The women who came with Him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was placed. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Luke 23
New Living Translation
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
23 Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”
5 Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 7 When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”[a]
18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
The Crucifixion
26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,[b] happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’[c] 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?[d]”
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull,[e] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[f] And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[g]
35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”[h] And with those words he breathed his last.
47 When the Roman officer[i] overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.[j]” 48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.[k] 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation,[l] as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
Footnotes
- 23:16 Some manuscripts add verse 17, Now it was necessary for him to release one prisoner to them during the Passover celebration. Compare Matt 27:15; Mark 15:6; John 18:39.
- 23:26 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa.
- 23:30 Hos 10:8.
- 23:31 Or If these things are done to me, the living tree, what will happen to you, the dry tree?
- 23:33 Sometimes rendered Calvary, which comes from the Latin word for “skull.”
- 23:34a This sentence is not included in many ancient manuscripts.
- 23:34b Greek by casting lots. See Ps 22:18.
- 23:46 Ps 31:5.
- 23:47a Greek the centurion.
- 23:47b Or righteous.
- 23:48 Greek went home beating their breasts.
- 23:54 Greek It was the day of preparation.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
