Simon Bears the Cross

²⁶ When they led Him away, they seized a man, ^[a]Simon of ^[b]Cyrene, who was coming in [to the city] from the country, and ^[c]placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.^(A)

²⁷ Following Him was a large crowd of the people, including women who were mourning and wailing for Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning toward them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have never nursed.’ ³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’^{(B) 31 [d]}For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”