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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,[a] and they called together the whole company of soldiers.[b] 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.[c]

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.

Jesus’ burial

42 Since it was late in the afternoon on Preparation Day, just before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph from Arimathea dared to approach Pilate and ask for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was a prominent council member who also eagerly anticipated the coming of God’s kingdom.) 44 Pilate wondered if Jesus was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him whether Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that Jesus was dead, Pilate gave the dead body to Joseph. 46 He bought a linen cloth, took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in the cloth, and laid him in a tomb that had been carved out of rock. He rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was buried.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 15:16 Or praetorium
  2. Mark 15:16 Or cohort (approximately six hundred soldiers)
  3. 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 Taken to Pilate

15 And as soon as morning came, after[a] formulating a plan, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, tied up Jesus, led him[b] away, and handed him[c] over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And he answered him and[d] said, “You say so.” And the chief priests began to accuse[e] him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, saying, “Do you not answer anything? See how many charges[f] they are bringing against you!” But Jesus did not answer anything further, so that Pilate was astonished.

Pilate Releases Barabbas

Now at each feast he customarily released[g] for them one prisoner whom they requested. And the one named Barabbas[h] was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the rebellion. And the crowd came up and[i] began to ask him to do as he customarily did[j] for them. So Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 10 (For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests incited the crowd so that he would release for them Barabbas[k] instead. 12 So Pilate answered and said to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one whom you call the king of the Jews?” 13 And they shouted again, “Crucify him!” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

15 So Pilate, because he[l] wanted to satisfy[m] the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And after[n] he had Jesus flogged, he handed him[o] over so that he could be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

16 So the soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort. 17 And they put a purple cloak on him, and after[p] weaving a crown of thorns they placed it[q] on him. 18 And they began to greet him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 And they repeatedly struck[r] him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and they knelt down[s] and[t] did obeisance to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes[u] on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him.

Jesus Is Crucified

21 And they forced a certain man who was passing by, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), who was coming from the country, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place Golgotha (which is translated “Place of a Skull”). 23 And they attempted to give[v] him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves[w] by[x] casting lots for them to see who should take what. 25 Now it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him was written, “The king of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.[y] 29 And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it[z] in three days, 30 save yourself by[aa] coming down from the cross!” 31 In the same way also the chief priests, along with the scribes, were mocking him[ab] to one another, saying, “He saved others; he is not able to save himself! 32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe! Even those who were crucified with him were reviling him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

33 And when[ac] the sixth hour came, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which is translated, “My God, my God, why[ad] have you forsaken me?”)[ae] 35 And some of the bystanders, when they[af] heard it,[ag] said, “Behold, he is summoning Elijah!” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it[ah] on a reed, and[ai] gave it[aj] to him to drink, saying, “Leave him[ak] alone! Let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down.” 37 But Jesus uttered a loud cry and[al] expired. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when[am] the centurion who was standing opposite him saw that he expired like this, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 40 And there were also women observing from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger[an] and Joses,[ao] and Salome, 41 who used to follow[ap] him and serve him when he was in Galilee, and many other women who went up with him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Is Buried

42 And when it[aq] was already evening, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council who was also himself looking forward to[ar] the kingdom of God, came acting courageously and[as] went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 And Pilate was surprised that he was already dead, and summoning the centurion, asked him whether he had died already. 45 And when he[at] learned of it[au] from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And after[av] purchasing a linen cloth and[aw] taking him down, he wrapped him[ax] in the linen cloth and placed him in a tomb that had been cut from the rock. And he rolled a stone over the entrance of the tomb. 47 Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was placed.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 15:1 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“formulating”) which is understood as temporal
  2. Mark 15:1 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  3. Mark 15:1 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. Mark 15:2 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Mark 15:3 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to accuse”)
  6. Mark 15:4 The word “charges” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  7. Mark 15:6 The imperfect tense has been translated as customary here (“customarily released”)
  8. Mark 15:7 “Barabbas” means “son of the father” in Aramaic
  9. Mark 15:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  10. Mark 15:8 The imperfect tense has been translated as customary here (“customarily did”)
  11. Mark 15:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  12. Mark 15:15 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“wanted”) which is understood as causal
  13. Mark 15:15 Literally “to make sufficient”
  14. Mark 15:15 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“flogged”) which is understood as temporal
  15. Mark 15:15 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  16. Mark 15:17 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“weaving”) which is understood as temporal
  17. Mark 15:17 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  18. Mark 15:19 The imperfect tense has been translated as iterative here (“repeatedly struck”)
  19. Mark 15:19 Literally “bending the knees”
  20. Mark 15:19 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“knelt down”) has been translated as a finite verb
  21. Mark 15:20 Some manuscripts have “his clothes” in place of “his own clothes”
  22. Mark 15:23 Here the imperfect tense is translated as a conative imperfect (“attempted to give”)
  23. Mark 15:24 Here “among themselves” reflects the middle voice of the verb “divided”
  24. Mark 15:24 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“casting”) which is understood as means
  25. Mark 15:27 Most later Greek manuscripts add v. 28 (a quotation from Isa 53:12) after v. 27, “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘And he was counted with the lawless ones’”
  26. Mark 15:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  27. Mark 15:30 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“coming down”) which is understood as means
  28. Mark 15:31 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  29. Mark 15:33 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“came”)
  30. Mark 15:34 Literally “for what reason
  31. Mark 15:34 A quotation from Ps 22:1
  32. Mark 15:35 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  33. Mark 15:35 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  34. Mark 15:36 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  35. Mark 15:36 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“ran” and “filled”) have been translated as finite verbs
  36. Mark 15:36 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  37. Mark 15:36 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  38. Mark 15:37 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“uttered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  39. Mark 15:39 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  40. Mark 15:40 Or perhaps “the short,” referring to stature
  41. Mark 15:40 This name appears in Matt 27:56 as “Joseph”
  42. Mark 15:41 The imperfect tense has been translated as customary here (“used to follow”)
  43. Mark 15:42 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
  44. Mark 15:43 Or “waiting for”
  45. Mark 15:43 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
  46. Mark 15:45 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“learned of”) which is understood as temporal
  47. Mark 15:45 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  48. Mark 15:46 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“purchasing”) which is understood as temporal
  49. Mark 15:46 Here “and” is supplied because the participle (“taking...down”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style
  50. Mark 15:46 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation