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A hearing before the Sanhedrin

53 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and legal experts gathered. 54 Peter followed him from a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the guards, warming himself by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they couldn’t find any. 56 Many brought false testimony against him, but they contradicted each other. 57 Some stood to offer false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him saying, ‘I will destroy this temple, constructed by humans, and within three days I will build another, one not made by humans.’” 59 But their testimonies didn’t agree even on this point.

60 Then the high priest stood up in the middle of the gathering and examined Jesus. “Aren’t you going to respond to the testimony these people have brought against you?” 61 But Jesus was silent and didn’t answer. Again, the high priest asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed one?”

62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Human One[a] sitting on the right side of the Almighty[b] and coming on the heavenly clouds.”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? 64 You’ve heard his insult against God. What do you think?”

They all condemned him. “He deserves to die!”

65 Some began to spit on him. Some covered his face and hit him, saying, “Prophesy!” Then the guards took him and beat him.

Peter denies Jesus

66 Meanwhile, Peter was below in the courtyard. A woman, one of the high priest’s servants, approached 67 and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t understand what you’re saying.” And he went outside into the outer courtyard. A rooster crowed.

69 The female servant saw him and began a second time to say to those standing around, “This man is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

A short time later, those standing around again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.”

71 But he cursed and swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” 72 At that very moment, a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down, sobbing.

Trial before Pilate

15 At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” The chief priests were accusing him of many things.

Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What about all these accusations?” But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.

During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. A man named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. The crowd pushed forward and asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did. Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10 He knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead. 12 Pilate replied, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?”

13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done?”

They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus is tortured and killed

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the courtyard of the palace known as the governor’s headquarters,[c] and they called together the whole company of soldiers.[d] 17 They dressed him up in a purple robe and twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on him. 18 They saluted him, “Hey! King of the Jews!” 19 Again and again, they struck his head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt before him to honor him. 20 When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

21 Simon, a man from Cyrene, Alexander and Rufus’ father, was coming in from the countryside. They forced him to carry his cross.

22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place. 23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he didn’t take it. 24 They crucified him. They divided up his clothes, drawing lots for them to determine who would take what. 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The notice of the formal charge against him was written, “The king of the Jews.” 27 They crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.[e]

29 People walking by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you? 30 Save yourself and come down from that cross!”

31 In the same way, the chief priests were making fun of him among themselves, together with the legal experts. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross. Then we’ll see and believe.” Even those who had been crucified with Jesus insulted him.

33 From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. 34 At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”

35 After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!” 36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 But Jesus let out a loud cry and died.

38 The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.”

40 Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joses, and Salome. 41 When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:62 Or Son of Man
  2. Mark 14:62 Or the Power
  3. Mark 15:16 Or praetorium
  4. Mark 15:16 Or cohort (approximately six hundred soldiers)
  5. Mark 15:27 15:28 is omitted in most critical editions of the Gk New Testament The scripture was fulfilled, which says, He was numbered among criminals.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin(A)(B)

53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.(C) There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.(D)

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin(E) were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another,(F) not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.(G)

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”(H)

62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”(I)

63 The high priest tore his clothes.(J) “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death.(K) 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.(L)

Peter Disowns Jesus(M)

66 While Peter was below in the courtyard,(N) one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself,(O) she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,”(P) she said.

68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,”(Q) he said, and went out into the entryway.[a]

69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it.(R)

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”(S)

71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”(T)

72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.[b] Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice[c] you will disown me three times.”(U) And he broke down and wept.

Jesus Before Pilate(V)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law(W) and the whole Sanhedrin,(X) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.(Y)

“Are you the king of the Jews?”(Z) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply,(AA) and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”(AB) asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas(AC) instead.

12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.

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

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

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,(AD) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus(AE)

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace(AF) (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(AG) 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out(AH) to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus(AI)

21 A certain man from Cyrene,(AJ) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,(AK) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.(AL) 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,(AM) but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots(AN) to see what each would get.

25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.(AO)

27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [d] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads(AP) and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,(AQ) 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him(AR) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah,(AS) this king of Israel,(AT) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus(AU)

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.(AV) 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[e](AW)

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar,(AX) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.(AY)

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.(AZ) 39 And when the centurion,(BA) who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[f] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”(BB)

40 Some women were watching from a distance.(BC) Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[g] and Salome.(BD) 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:68 Some early manuscripts entryway and the rooster crowed
  2. Mark 14:72 Some early manuscripts do not have the second time.
  3. Mark 14:72 Some early manuscripts do not have twice.
  4. Mark 15:28 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Luke 22:37.
  5. Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
  6. Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry
  7. Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47