< Luke 23 >
1 Then the whole group got up and took Jesus to Pilate, [the Roman governor].
2 They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We [(exc)] have determined that this fellow has caused political trouble in our country. He has been [telling people that they should] not pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY]. Also, he says that he is the Messiah, a king!”
3 Pilate asked him, “Do you [(sg) claim that you are] the King of the Jews?” He replied, “[It is] as you have [just] now said.”
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and [the rest of] the crowd, “I do not conclude that this man is guilty of any crime.”
5 But they kept insisting, “He is inciting the people [to riot]! He has been teaching his [ideas] throughout all of Judea [district]. He started [doing it] in Galilee [district] and now he is doing it here!”
6 When Pilate heard that, he asked, “Is this man from Galilee [district]?”
7 When they told him that Jesus was [from Galilee, which was the district] that Herod [Antipas] ruled, [he told them] to take Jesus to Herod [Antipas], because Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.
8 [So they did]. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He [had heard about Jesus], and he had been hoping for a long time that he could see Jesus perform a miracle.
9 So he asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not reply [to any of them].
10 The chief priests and men who taught the [Jewish] laws stood near Jesus, accusing him very strongly.
11 Then Herod and his soldiers (made fun of/ridiculed) [Jesus]. They put gorgeous clothes on him [to mock him as being a king]. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.
12 Until that time Herod and Pilate had been very hostile to each other, but that very day they became friends.
13 Pilate then gathered together the chief priests and other [Jewish] leaders and the crowd [that was still there].
14 He said to them, “You brought this man to me, saying that he had caused trouble among the people. But [I want you to know that] after having examined him while you were listening, I do not conclude that he is guilty of any of the things that you are accusing him about.
15 [Obviously] Herod did not [conclude that] either, because he sent him back to me [without punishing him]. [So it] is clear that this man has not done anything for which we [(inc)] should kill him.
16 So I will [have my soldiers] flog him and then release him.”
17
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Execute this man! Release Barrabas for us [(exc)]!”
19 Barrabas was a man who had tried to persuade people in the city to rebel [against the Roman government. While doing that], he had murdered [someone]. So he had been put {they had put him} in prison, [where he was waiting to be executed].
20 Because Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he tried to persuade the crowd again.
21 But they kept shouting, “[Command your soldiers to] kill him by nailing him to a cross!/Have him crucified!”
22 He [spoke to them] a third time and asked them, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have concluded that he has done nothing for which he deserves to die. So I will [have my soldiers] flog him and then release him.”
23 But they kept insisting. They shouted loudly that [Jesus] should be nailed {that [Pilate] should [have his soldiers] nail [Jesus]} to a cross. Finally, because they continued to shout [PRS] [so loudly],
24 Pilate decided to do what the crowd requested.
25 The man who had been {whom they had} put in prison because he had rebelled [against the government] and who had murdered [someone], he released! That was the man whom the crowd had asked him [to release]. He handed Jesus over [to the soldiers], to do what [the crowd] wanted.
26 As the soldiers were taking [Jesus] away, they seized a man named Simon, [who was] from Cyrene [city in Africa]. He was returning [to Jerusalem] from out in the countryside. They [took from Jesus the cross that he had been carrying. Then] they put it on Simon’s shoulders, and [told him to] carry it behind Jesus.
27 A large crowd followed Jesus. The crowd included many women who were beating their breasts [to show how sad they were], and wailing for him.
28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “You women of Jerusalem, do not cry for me! Instead, cry because of [what is going to happen to] yourselves and your children!
29 I want you to know that there will soon be a time when people will say, ‘Women [SYN] who have never borne children or nursed babies are fortunate!’
30 Then, [in order that they will not have to suffer greatly when their enemies destroy this city], people who are left in the city will say to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ And people will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31 [I am innocent] [MET]. [I am like] a living tree [that people do not try to burn. But the people of Jerusalem deserve that their enemies punish them. They are like] dry wood that is ready to [burn]. So if they [nail me to the cross], ([their enemies] will certainly do much worse things to them!/what worse things will happen to them?) [RHQ]”
32 Two other men who were criminals were also being led away {[The soldiers] also led away two other men who were criminals}. They were going to be executed {[The soldiers] were going to execute them} [with Jesus].
33 When they came to the place which is called ‘The Skull’, they nailed [Jesus] to a cross [after removing his clothes]. They did the same thing to the two criminals. They crucified one at the right [side of Jesus] and one at his left [side].
34 Jesus prayed, “[My] Father, forgive them, because they do not realize [whom] they are doing [this to]!” Then [the soldiers] divided Jesus’ clothing by gambling with something like dice, [to decide which piece of clothing each one would get].
35 Many people stood nearby, watching. And the [Jewish] leaders (made fun of/ridiculed) [Jesus], saying, “He [said] [IRO] [that he] saved other people! If he is the Messiah, the one God has chosen, he should save himself!”
36 The soldiers also ridiculed him because he [claimed to be a king]. They came up to him and offered him some sour wine.
37 They said to him, “If you [(sg)] are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 [They] also [fastened on the cross] a sign [that stated] why [they] were nailing him to the cross. [But all it said was], ‘This is the King of the Jews’.
39 One of the criminals who was hanging [on a cross] began to insult Jesus, saying, “You [(sg) said that you] are the Messiah, so [you must be powerful]! So save yourself, and save us, too!”
40 But the other [criminal] rebuked him, saying, “(You [(sg)] should be afraid of God [punishing you]!/Are you not afraid of God [punishing you]?) [RHQ] They are punishing him [and us] similarly.
41 They have justly decided that we [(inc) two] must die. They are punishing us as we deserve [for the evil things that we did]. But this man has done nothing wrong!”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, [please] remember me [and take care of me] when you become king!”
43 Jesus replied, “I want you [(sg)] to know that today you [(sg)] will be with me in the place where everyone is happy!” (OR, that today you will be with me in Paradise!)
44 [Then it] was about noontime. It became dark over the whole land, [and it stayed dark] until three o’clock in the afternoon.
45 There was no light from the sun. Then the [thick] curtain [that closed off the most holy place] in the Temple split into two pieces. [That signified that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God].
46 [As that happened], Jesus shouted loudly, “Father, I put my spirit into your care [MTY]!” When he said that, he [EUP] died.
47 When the officer [who supervised the soldiers who were executing Jesus] saw what happened, he praised God [for the way Jesus died], saying, “[I am] sure that this man had done nothing wrong!”
48 When the crowd of people who had gathered to see those events saw what happened, they returned [to their homes], beating their chests [to show that they were sorrowful].
49 All of Jesus’ friends, including the women who had come with him from Galilee [district], stood at a distance and saw everything that happened.
50 There was a man named Joseph who [came there]. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea. He was a good and a righteous man, and he was a member of the [Jewish] Council.
51 But he had not agreed with the other Council [members] when they decided [to kill Jesus] and when they [planned how to] do it. He was waiting expectantly for [the time when] God [would send] his king to begin to rule.
52 He went to Pilate and asked [Pilate to permit him] to [take] Jesus’ body [and bury it. After Pilate allowed him to do that],
53 he [and some others] took [Jesus’ body] down [from the cross]. They wrapped it in a linen cloth. Then they put his body in a tomb that he had [hired others to] dig out of a rock [cliff]. No one had ever put a body in it before.
54 [They had to do it quickly because] that was [Friday], the day when [people] prepared [things for the Jewish day of rest]. (The Sabbath/The day of rest) was about to start [at sunset, so they had to finish burying Jesus’ body before sunset].
55 The women who had come with [Jesus] from Galilee [district] followed [Joseph and the men who were with him]. They saw the tomb, and they saw how the men laid [Jesus’] body [inside it, and saw the men roll a huge stone across the entrance].
56 Then the women returned to the houses [where they were staying. That evening] they prepared spices and ointments to put [on Jesus’ body], but (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day) they rested, according to what [Moses] had commanded.
