Mark 15
New Testament for Everyone
Jesus before Pilate
15 As soon as morning came, the chief priests held a council meeting with the elders, the legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin. They bound Jesus, took him off to Pilate, and handed him over.
2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“You have said it,” replied Jesus.
3 The chief priests laid many accusations against him.
4 Pilate again interrogated him: “Aren’t you going to make any reply? Look how many accusations they’re making against you!”
5 But Jesus gave no reply at all, which astonished Pilate.
6 The custom was that at festival time he used to release for them a single prisoner, whoever they would ask for. 7 There was a man in prison named Barabbas, one of the revolutionaries who had committed murder during the uprising. 8 So the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do what he normally did.
9 “Do you want me,” answered Pilate, “to release for you ‘the king of the Jews’?”
10 He said this because he knew that the chief priests had handed him over out of envy. 11 The chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask for Barabbas instead to be released to them. So Pilate once again asked them, 12 “What then do you want me to do with the one you call ‘the king of the Jews’?”
13 “Crucify him!” they shouted again.
14 “Why?” asked Pilate. “What has he done wrong?”
“Crucify him!” they shouted all the louder.
15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd; so he released Barabbas for them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The crucifixion
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard, that is, the Praetorium, and called together the whole squad. 17 They dressed Jesus up in purple; then, weaving together a crown of thorns, they stuck it on him. 18 They began to salute him: “Greetings, King of the Jews!” 19 And they hit him over the head with a staff, and spat at him, and knelt down to do him homage. 20 Then, when they had mocked him, they took the purple robe off him, and put his own clothes back on.
Then they led him off to crucify him. 21 They compelled a man called Simon to carry Jesus’ cross. He was from Cyrene, and was coming in from out of town. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus.
22 They took Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which in translation means “Skull’s Place.” 23 They gave him a mixture of wine and myrrh, but he didn’t drink it.
24 So they crucified him; they “parted his clothing between them, casting lots” to see who would get what. 25 It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription, giving the charge, read: “The King of the Jews.” 27 They also crucified two bandits alongside him, one on his right and one on his left.
29 People who were passing by abused him. They shook their heads at him.
“Hah!” they said. “You were going to destroy the Temple, were you? And build it again in three days? 30 Why don’t you rescue yourself, and come down from the cross?”
31 The chief priests and the lawyers were mocking him in the same way among themselves.
“He rescued others,” they said, “but he can’t rescue himself. 32 Messiah, is he? King of Israel, did he say? Well, let’s see him come down from the cross! We’ll believe him when we see that!”
The two who were crucified alongside him taunted him as well.
The death of Jesus
33 At midday there was darkness over all the land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus shouted out in a powerful voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
35 When the bystanders heard it, some of them said, “He’s calling for Elijah!”
36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a pole, and gave it him to drink.
“Well then,” he declared, “let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down.”
37 But Jesus, with another loud shout, breathed his last.
38 The Temple veil was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion who was standing facing him saw that he died in this way, he said, “This fellow really was God’s son.”
The burial of Jesus
40 Some women were watching from a distance. They included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. 41 They had followed Jesus in Galilee, and had attended to his needs. There were several other women, too, who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42 It was already getting towards evening, and it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a reputable member of the council who was himself eagerly awaiting God’s kingdom, took his courage in both hands, went to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion, and asked whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned the facts from the centurion, he conceded the body to Joseph.
46 So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took the body down, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb cut out of the rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was buried.
Mark 15
Modern English Version
Jesus Before Pilate(A)
15 Early in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin. And they bound Jesus and took Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.
2 Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
He answered him, “You have said so.”
3 The chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4 So Pilate asked Him again, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You.”
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate was astonished.
Jesus Sentenced to Die(B)
6 Now at the feast he always released to them one prisoner, whomever they requested. 7 There was one named Barabbas, who had committed murder in the insurrection and was bound with the rebels. 8 The crowd began crying aloud, asking Pilate to do as he had always done for them.
9 He answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over out of envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred the people, so that he should instead release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered them again, “What then would you have me do to Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 They again cried out, “Crucify Him!”
14 Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out even more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, resolving to satisfy the people, released Barabbas to them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he handed Him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus(C)
16 The soldiers led Him away to Praetorium Hall, and they called together the entire battalion. 17 They clothed Him with a purple robe. And they wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck His head with a staff and spit on Him. And bowing their knees, they worshipped Him. 20 When they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off of Him and put His own garments on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
The Crucifixion(D)
21 They compelled a man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was passing through from the country, to bear Jesus’ cross. 22 They brought Him to the place called Golgotha, which means, “Place of a Skull.” 23 They gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 When they had crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them, to decide what each man should take.
25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of His accusation was written above:
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 With Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was numbered with the lawless ones.”[a] 29 Those who passed by blasphemed Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ah, You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests mocked Him among themselves with the scribes and said, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him.
The Death of Jesus(E)
33 When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”[b]
35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Listen, He is calling Elijah!”
36 One man ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
37 But Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the spirit.
38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion[c] who stood facing Him saw that He cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, “Truly, this Man was the Son of God.”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 They also had followed Him and had ministered to Him when He was in Galilee. And many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem were there.
The Burial of Jesus(F)
42 When the evening had come, because it was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable member of the Council, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He were already dead. And calling for the centurion, he asked him whether He had been dead for a while. 45 When he learned about it from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 So he bought fine linen, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where He was laid.
Footnotes
- Mark 15:28 Isa 53:12.
- Mark 15:34 Ps 22:1.
- Mark 15:39 Commander with the rank of captain over 100 soldiers.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.