Read the Gospels in 40 Days
23 Then the whole assembly of them got up and conducted [Jesus] before Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse Him, asserting, We found this [a]Man perverting (misleading, corrupting, and turning away) our nation and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), a King!
3 So Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He answered him, [[b]It is just as] you say. [I Am.]
4 And Pilate said to the chief priests and the throngs, I find no guilt or crime in this Man.
5 But they were urgent and emphatic, saying, He stirs up and excites the people, teaching throughout all Judea—from Galilee, where He began, even to this place.
6 Upon hearing this, Pilate asked whether the Man was a Galilean.
7 And when he found out [certainly] that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him up to Herod [a higher authority], who was also in Jerusalem in those days.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had eagerly desired to see Him for a long time because of what he had heard concerning Him, and he was hoping to witness some sign (some striking evidence or spectacular performance) done by Him.
9 So he asked Him many questions, but He made no reply.(A)
10 Meanwhile, the chief priests and the scribes stood by, continuing vehemently and violently to accuse Him.
11 And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him; then, dressing Him up in bright and gorgeous apparel, he sent Him back to Pilate.(B)
12 And that very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other—[though] they had been at enmity before this.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 And said to them, You brought this Man before me as One Who was perverting and misleading and [c]turning away and corrupting the people; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have not found any offense (crime or guilt) in this Man in regard to your accusations against Him;
15 No, nor indeed did Herod, for he sent Him back to us; behold, He has done nothing deserving of death.
16 I will therefore chastise Him and [d]deliver Him amended (reformed, taught His lesson) and release Him.
17 [e]For it was necessary for him to release to them one prisoner at the Feast.
18 But they all together raised a deep cry [from the depths of their throats], saying, Away with this Man! Release to us Barabbas!
19 He was a man who had been thrown into prison for raising a riot in the city, and for murder.
20 Once more Pilate called to them, wishing to release Jesus;
21 But they kept shouting out, Crucify, crucify Him!
22 A third time he said to them, Why? What wrong has He done? I have found [no offense or crime or guilt] in Him nothing deserving of death; I will therefore chastise Him [[f]in order to teach Him better] and release Him.
23 But they were insistent and urgent, demanding with loud cries that He should be crucified. And their voices prevailed (accomplished their purpose).
24 And Pilate gave sentence, that what they asked should be done.
25 So he released the man who had been thrown into prison for riot and murder, for whom they continued to ask, but Jesus he delivered up to be done with as they willed.
26 And as they led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27 And there accompanied [Jesus] a great multitude of the people, [including] women who bewailed and lamented 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 during which they will say, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [g]to be envied) are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have never nursed [babies]!
30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover (conceal, hide) us!
31 For if they do these things when the timber is green, what will happen when it is dry?
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be executed with Him.(C)
33 And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Latin: Calvary; Hebrew: Golgotha], there they crucified Him, and [along with] the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
34 And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them.(D)
35 Now the people stood by [[h]calmly and leisurely] watching; but the rulers scoffed and sneered ([i]turned up their noses) at Him, saying, He rescued others [[j]from death]; let Him now rescue Himself, if He is the Christ (the Messiah) of God, His Chosen One!
36 The soldiers also ridiculed and made sport of Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar (a sour wine mixed with water)(E)
37 And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, save (rescue) Yourself [[k]from death].
38 For there was also an inscription above Him [l]in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews.
39 One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [[m]from death]!
40 But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty?
41 And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing [n]strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable].
42 Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come [o]in Your kingly glory!
43 And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.
44 It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o’clock in the afternoon),
45 While the sun’s light faded or [p]was darkened; and the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two.(F)
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired.(G)
47 Now the centurion, having seen what had taken place, [q]recognized God and thanked and praised Him, and said, Indeed, without question, this Man was upright (just and innocent)!
48 And all the throngs that had gathered to see this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned to their homes, beating their breasts.
49 And all the acquaintances of [Jesus] and the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched these things.
50 Now notice, there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council (the Sanhedrin), and a good (upright, [r]advantageous) man, and righteous (in right standing with God and man),
51 Who had not agreed with or assented to the purpose and action of the others; and he was expecting and waiting for the kingdom of God.
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down and [s]rolled it up in a linen cloth [t]for swathing dead bodies and laid Him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid.
54 It was the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], and the Sabbath was dawning (approaching).
55 The women who had come with [Jesus] from Galilee followed closely and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they went back and made ready spices and ointments (perfumes). On the Sabbath day they rested in accordance with the commandment.(H)
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had made ready.
2 And they found the stone rolled back from the tomb,
3 But when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And while they were perplexed and wondering what to do about this, behold, two men in dazzling raiment suddenly stood beside them.
5 And as [the women] were frightened and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among [those who are] dead?
6 He is not here, but has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee
7 That the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men (men [u]whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God) and be crucified and on the third day rise [[v]from death].(I)
8 And they remembered His words.
9 And having returned from the tomb, they reported all these things [taken together] to the eleven apostles and to all the rest.
10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who reported these things to the apostles.
11 But these reports seemed to the men an idle tale ([w]madness, [x]feigned things, [y]nonsense), and they did not believe the women.
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths alone by themselves, and he went away, wondering about and marveling at what had happened.
13 And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred.
15 And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them.
16 But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him.
17 And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging ([z]throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.
18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, Do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days?
19 And He said to them, What [kind of] things? And they said to Him, About Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a Prophet mighty in work and word before God and all the people—
20 And how our chief priests and rulers gave Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He Who would redeem and set Israel free. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.
22 And moreover, some women of our company astounded us and [aa]drove us out of our senses. They were at the tomb early [in the morning]
23 But did not find His body; and they returned saying that they had [even] seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive!
24 So some of those [who were] with us went to the tomb and they found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.
25 And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary and [ab]essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)?
27 Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.
28 Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further.
29 But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them.
30 And it occurred that as He reclined at table with them, He took [a loaf of] bread and praised [God] and gave thanks and asked a blessing, and then broke it and was giving it to them
31 When their eyes were [instantly] opened and they [clearly] recognized Him, and He vanished ([ac]departed invisibly).
32 And they said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the Scriptures?
33 And rising up that very hour, they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them,
34 Who said, The Lord really has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter)!
35 Then they [themselves] [ad]related [in full] what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread.
36 Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace ([ae]freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin) be to you!
37 But they were so startled and terrified that they thought they saw a spirit.
38 And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts?
39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Feel and handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.
40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 And while [since] they still could not believe it for sheer joy and marveled, He said to them, Have you anything here to eat?
42 They gave Him a piece of broiled fish,
43 And He took [it] and ate [it] before them.
44 Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
45 Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 And said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from ([af] among) the dead,(J)
47 And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high.
50 Then He conducted them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up His hands, He invoked a blessing on them.
51 And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven.
52 And they, worshiping Him, went back to Jerusalem with great joy;
53 And they were continually in the temple celebrating with praises and blessing and extolling God. Amen (so be it).
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