Luke 23
1 And they all went and took him before Pilate.
Then they all rose in a body and led Jesus before Pilate.
2 And they made statements against him, saying, This man has to our knowledge been teaching our nation to do wrong, and not to make payment of taxes to Caesar, even saying that he himself is Christ, a king.
And they began to accuse him, ‘This is a man whom we found misleading our people, preventing them from paying taxes to the Emperor, and giving out that he himself is “Christ, a king.”’
3 And Pilate said to him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he said in answer, You say so.
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked him. ‘It is true,’ replied Jesus.
4 And Pilate said to the chief priests and the people, In my opinion this man has done no wrong.
But Pilate, turning to the chief priests and the people, said, ‘I do not see anything to find fault with in this man.’
5 But they became more violent than before, saying, He has made trouble among the people, teaching through all Judaea from Galilee to this place.
But they insisted, ‘He is stirring up the people by his teaching all through Judea; he began with Galilee and has now come here.’
6 But at these words Pilate said, Is the man a Galilaean?
Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
7 And when he saw that he was under the authority of Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem himself at that time.
and, having satisfied himself that Jesus came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also was at Jerusalem at the time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus he was very glad, having for a long time had a desire to see him, for he had had accounts of him, and was hoping to see some wonders done by him.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly pleased, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, having heard a great deal about him; and he was hoping to see some sign given by him.
9 And he put a great number of questions to him, but he said nothing.
So he questioned him at some length, but Jesus made no reply.
10 And the chief priests and the scribes were there, making statements against him violently.
Meanwhile the chief priests and the teachers of the Law stood by and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod, with the men of his army, put shame on him and made sport of him, and dressing him in shining robes, he sent him back to Pilate.
And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Jesus with scorn; he mocked him by throwing a gorgeous robe round him, and then sent him back to Pilate.
12 And that day Herod and Pilate became friends with one another, for before they had been against one another.
And Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, for before that there had been ill-will between them.
13 And Pilate sent for the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them,
So Pilate summoned the chief priests, and the leading men, and the people,
14 You say that this man has been teaching the people evil things: now I, after going into the question before you, see nothing wrong in this man in connection with the things which you have said against him:
and said to them, ‘You brought this man before me charged with misleading the people; and yet, for my part, though I examined him before you, I did not find this man to blame for any of the things of which you accuse him;
15 And Herod is of the same opinion, for he has sent him back to us; for, you see, he has done nothing for which I might put him to death.
nor did Herod either; for he has sent him back to us. And, as a fact, he has not done anything deserving death;
16 And so I will give him punishment and let him go.
so I will have him scourged, and then release him.’
18 But with loud voices they said all together, Put this man to death, and make Barabbas free.
But they began to shout as one man, ‘Kill this fellow, but release Barabbas for us.’
19 Now this man was in prison because of an attack against the government in the town, in which there had been loss of life.
(Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had broken out in the city and for murder.)
20 And Pilate again said to them that it was his desire to let Jesus go free.
Pilate, however, wanting to release Jesus, called to them again;
21 But crying out they said, To the cross with him!
but they kept calling out, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’
22 And he said to them a third time, Why, what evil has he done? I see no reason for putting him to death: I will give him punishment and let him go.
‘Why, what harm has this man done?’ Pilate said to them for the third time. ‘I have found nothing in him for which he could be condemned to death. So I will have him scourged, and then release him.’
23 But they went on crying out loudly, Let him be put to death on the cross. And they had their way.
But they persisted in loudly demanding his crucifixion; and their clamour gained the day.
24 And Pilate gave his decision for their desire to be put into effect.
Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
25 And in answer to their request, he let that man go free who had been in prison for acting against the government and causing death, and Jesus he gave up to their pleasure.
He released the man who had been put in prison for riot and murder, as they demanded, and gave Jesus up to be dealt with as they pleased.
26 And while they were taking him away, they put their hands on Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and made him take the cross after Jesus.
And, as they were leading Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry it behind Jesus.
27 And a great band of people went after him, and of women making signs of grief and weeping for him.
There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, let not your weeping be for me, but for yourselves and for your children.
So Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For the days are coming in which they will say, Happy are those who have had no children, whose bodies have never given birth, whose breasts have never given milk.
A time, I tell you, is coming, when it will be said – “Happy are the women who are barren, and those who have never borne children or nursed them!”
30 And they will say to the mountains, Come down on us, and to the hills, Be a cover over us.
At that time people will begin to say to the mountains “Fall on us,” and to the hills “Cover us.”
31 For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dry?
If what you see is done while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
32 And two others, evil-doers, were taken with him to be put to death.
There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus.
33 And when they came to the place which is named Golgotha, they put him on the cross, and the evil-doers, one on the right side, and the other on the left.
When they had reached the place called “The Skull,” there they crucified Jesus and the criminals, one on the right, and one on the left.
34 And Jesus said, Father, let them have forgiveness, for they have no knowledge of what they are doing. And they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.
Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ His clothes they divided among them by casting lots.
35 And the people were looking on. And the rulers made sport of him, saying, He was a saviour of others; let him do something for himself, if he is the Christ, the man of God's selection.
Meanwhile the people stood looking on. Even the leading men said with a sneer, ‘He saved others, let him save himself, if he is God’s Christ, his chosen one.’
36 And the men of the army made sport of him, coming to him and giving him bitter wine,
The soldiers, too, came up in mockery, bringing him common wine,
37 And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, get yourself free.
and saying as they did so, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’
38 And these words were put in writing over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Above him were the words – “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 And one of the evil-doers on the cross, with bitter feeling, said to him, Are you not the Christ? Get yourself and us out of this.
One of the criminals who were hanging beside Jesus railed at him. ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us,’ he said.
40 But the other, protesting, said, Have you no fear of God? for you have a part in the same punishment,
But the other rebuked him. ‘Haven’t you,’ he said, ‘any fear of God, now that you are under the same sentence?
41 And with reason; for we have the right reward of our acts, but this man has done nothing wrong.
And we justly so, for we are only reaping our deserts, but this man has not done anything wrong.
42 And he said, Jesus, keep me in mind when you come in your kingdom.
Jesus,’ he went on, ‘do not forget me when you have come to your kingdom.’
43 And he said to him, Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise.
And Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, this very day you will be with me in Paradise.’
44 And it was now about the sixth hour; and all the land was dark till the ninth hour;
It was nearly midday, when a darkness came over the whole country, lasting until three in the afternoon,
45 The light of the sun went out, and the curtain in the Temple was parted in two.
the sun being eclipsed; and the Temple curtain was torn down the middle.
46 And Jesus gave a loud cry and said, Father, into your hands I give my spirit: and when he had said this, he gave up his spirit.
Then Jesus, with a loud cry, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ And with these words he expired.
47 And when the captain saw what was done, he gave praise to God, saying, Without doubt this was an upright man.
The Roman centurion, on seeing what had happened, praised God, exclaiming, ‘This must have been a good man!’
48 And all the people who had come together to see it, when they saw the things which were done, went back again making signs of grief.
All the people who had collected to see the sight watched what occurred, and then went home beating their breasts.
49 And all his friends and the women who came with him from Galilee, were waiting at a distance, watching these things.
All the friends of Jesus had been standing at a distance, with the women who accompanied him from Galilee, watching all this.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a man of authority and a good and upright man
Now there was a man of the name of Joseph, who was a member of the Council, and who bore a good and upright character.
51 (He had not given his approval to their decision or their acts), of Arimathaea, a town of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God:
(This man had not assented to the decision and action of the Council.) He belonged to Arimathea, a town in Judea, and lived in expectation of the kingdom of God.
52 This man went to Pilate and made a request for the body of Jesus.
He now went to see Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus;
53 And he took it down, and folding it in a linen cloth, he put it in a place cut in the rock for a dead body; and no one had ever been put in it.
and, when he had taken it down, he wrapped it in a linen sheet, and laid him in a tomb cut out of stone, in which no one had yet been buried.
54 Now it was the day of making ready and the Sabbath was coming on.
It was the Preparation day, and just before the Sabbath began.
55 And the women who had come with him from Galilee went after him and saw the place and how his body had been put to rest;
The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how the body of Jesus was laid,
56 And they went back and got ready spices and perfumes; and on the Sabbath they took their rest, in agreement with the law.
and then went home, and prepared spices and perfumes. During the Sabbath they rested, as directed by the commandment.
