Old/New Testament

²⁷ Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.

²⁸ They took off his clothes, and they put a red gown on him.

²⁹ They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'

³⁰ They spat on him. And they took the stick and hit him on the head with it.

³¹ After they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown. They put his own clothes on him. Then they took him away to nail him to a cross.

³² As they were going, they met a man named Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him carry Jesus' cross.

³³ They came to a place called Golgotha. That means, `The place of a head bone.'

³⁴ They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. Jesus tasted it but he would not drink it.

³⁵ Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.

³⁶ Then the soldiers sat down on the ground and watched him there.

³⁷ They put the complaint against Jesus above his head. These words were written there: `This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'

³⁸ Two bad men were also nailed to crosses. They had stolen money. One man was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of him.

³⁹ The people who passed by said bad things about him. They shook their heads.

⁴⁰ They said, `You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you are really God's Son, come down from the cross.'

⁴¹ The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders also made fun of him.

⁴² They said, `He saved other people but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.

⁴³ He trusted in God. If God wants him, he can save him now. He said, "I am God's Son." '

⁴⁴ The bad men who were also nailed to crosses with him said the same things to him.

⁴⁵ About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

⁴⁶ About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said `This man is calling for Elijah.'

⁴⁸ Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.

⁴⁹ The other people said, `Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.'

⁵⁰ Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.