Mark 15
1 Very early in the morning the chief priests met together with [the rest of] the Jewish council, [in order to decide how to accuse Jesus before the Roman governor. Their guards] tied Jesus’ hands [again]. They took him to [the house of] Pilate, [the governor, and they started to accuse him, saying] “[Jesus is claiming that he is a king!]!”
And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.
2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Do you [claim to be] the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “You yourself have said so.”
And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering saith unto him, Thou sayest.
3 Then the chief priests claimed that Jesus had done many bad things.
And the chief priests accused him of many things.
4 So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Listen to how many bad things they are saying that you [have done]!”
And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they accuse thee of.
5 But [even though Jesus was not guilty], he did not say anything more. The result was that Pilate was very much surprised.
But Jesus no more answered anything; insomuch that Pilate marveled.
6 It was the governor’s custom [each year] during the [Passover] celebration to release [one person who was in prison. He customarily released] whichever prisoner the people requested.
Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him.
7 [At that time] there was a man called Barabbas who had been {whom [the soldiers had]} [put in prison with some other men]. Those men had murdered [some soldiers] when they rebelled [against the Roman government].
And there was one called Barabbas, [lying] bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.
8 A crowd approached [Pilate] and asked him [to release someone], just like he customarily did for them [during the Passover celebration].
And the multitude went up and began to ask him [to do] as he was wont to do unto them.
9 Pilate answered them, “Would you like me to release for you the [man whom you] Jewish [people say is your] king?”
And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 [He asked this] because he realized what the chief priests were wanting to do. They were accusing Jesus because they were jealous of him [because many people were becoming his disciples].
For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.
11 But the chief priests urged the crowd [to request] that Pilate release Barabbas for them instead [of Jesus].
But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
12 Pilate said to them again, “[If I release Barabbas], what do you want me to do with the man whom [some of] you Jews say is [your] king?”
And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 Then they shouted again, “[Command that your soldiers] crucify him!”
And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, “[Command your soldiers to] crucify him!”
And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 So, because Pilate wanted to please the crowd, he released Barabbas for them. Then, after [his soldiers] had whipped Jesus with leather straps into which they had fastened metal pieces, [Pilate told the soldiers to take him away] in order that he would be crucified {they would crucify him}.
And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the [courtyard of the] palace [where Pilate lived]. That place was the government headquarters. Then they summoned the whole (cohort/group of soldiers) [who were on duty there].
And the soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 [After the soldiers gathered together], they put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they placed on his head a crown that they made from [branches of] thornbushes. [They did those things in order to ridicule him by pretending that he was a king].
And they clothe him with purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on him;
18 Then they greeted him [like they would greet a king, in order to ridicule him], saying, “Hooray for the King [who rules] the Jews!”
and they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 They repeatedly struck his head with a reed and spat on him. By kneeling down, they [pretended to honor] him.
And they smote his head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 When they had finished ridiculing him, they pulled off the purple robe. They put his own clothes on him, and then they led him outside [of the city] in order to nail him to a cross.
And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the purple, and put on him his garments. And they lead him out to crucify him.
21 [After Jesus carried his cross a short distance], a man named Simon from Cyrene [city came along]. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. He was passing by while he was returning [home] from outside [the city. The soldiers] compelled Simon to carry the cross [for Jesus].
And they compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go [with them], that he might bear his cross.
22 They brought them both to a place that they [call] Golgotha. That name means, ‘a place [like] a skull’.
And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
23 Then they tried to give Jesus wine that was {that they} mixed with [medicine called] myrrh. [They wanted him to drink it so that he would not feel so much pain when they crucified him]. But he did not drink it.
And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
24 [Some] of the [soldiers took his clothes]. Then they nailed him to a cross. Afterwards, they divided his clothes among themselves by gambling with [something like] dice. They did this [in order to determine] which [piece of clothing] each one would get.
And they crucify him, and part his garments among them, casting lots upon them, what each should take.
25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26 They [attached to the cross above Jesus’ head] a sign on which it had been written {someone had written} the reason why [they were nailing him to the cross]. [But all] that it said was, “The King of the Jews.”
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 They also nailed to crosses two men who were bandits. They nailed one to a cross at the right side [of Jesus] and one to a cross at the left side [of Jesus].
And with him they crucify two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left.
29 The people who were passing by insulted him by shaking their heads as [if here were an evil man]. They said, “Aha! You said that you would destroy the Temple and then you would build it again within three days.
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ha! thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 [If you could do that, then] rescue yourself by coming down from the cross!”
save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 The chief priests, along with the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, also [wanted to] make fun of Jesus. So they said to each other, “He [claims to have] saved others [from their sicknesses] [IRO] but he cannot save himself!
In like manner also the chief priests mocking [him] among themselves with the scribes said, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 He said, ‘I am the Messiah, I am the King who [rules the people of] Israel.’ [If his words are true], he should come down now from the cross! Then we will believe [him]!” The [two] men who were crucified beside him also insulted him.
Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him.
33 At noon the whole land became dark, [and it stayed dark] until three o’clock in the afternoon.
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 At three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” That means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 When some of the people who were standing there heard [the word ‘Eloi’, misunderstanding it], they said, “Listen! He is calling for [the prophet] Elijah!”
And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah.
36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He placed it on [the tip of] a reed, and then he [held it] up for [Jesus] to suck out [the wine that was in] it. [While he was doing that, someone] said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah will come to take him down [from the cross]!”
And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down.
37 And then, after Jesus shouted loudly, he stopped breathing [and died].
And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 [At that moment] the [heavy thick] curtain that closed off [the most holy place in] the Temple split into two pieces from top to bottom. [That showed that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God].
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39 The officer who supervised the soldiers [who nailed Jesus to the cross] was standing in front of Jesus. When he saw how Jesus died, he exclaimed, “Truly, this man was the man who was also God!”
And when the centurion, which stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also some women there, watching these events from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus when he was in Galilee [district], and they had provided what he needed. They had come with him to Jerusalem. Among those women was Mary from Magdala [town]. There was [another] Mary, who was the mother of the younger James and of Joses. There was also Salome.
And there were also women beholding from afar: among whom [were] both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42 When evening was near, [a man named] Joseph from Arimathea [town came there]. He was a member of the [Jewish] council, one whom everyone respected. He was also one of those who had been waiting expectantly for the [time when] God [would send] his king to begin to rule. [He knew that, according to Jewish law, people’s bodies had to be buried] {[someone had to bury people’s bodies]} [on the day they died. He also realized that] it was the day when [people] prepared [things for] ([the Jewish day of rest/the Sabbath]), [and that the Sabbath would start when the sun set]. So he became courageous and went to Pilate and asked Pilate [to permit him to take] the body of Jesus [down from the cross and bury it immediately].
And when even was now come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a councillor of honourable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate was surprised [when he heard that] Jesus was already dead. So he summoned the officer who was in charge of the soldiers [who crucified Jesus], and he asked him if [Jesus] had already died.
And Pilate marveled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 When the officer told [Pilate that Jesus was dead], Pilate allowed Joseph [to take away] the body.
And when he learned it of the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth, he [and others] took [Jesus’ body down from the cross]. They wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb that [previously] had been dug out of the rock [cliff]. Then they rolled a [huge flat] stone in front of the entrance to the tomb.
And he bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
47 Mary [from] Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where Jesus’ [body] was placed {where they placed Jesus’ [body]}.
And Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of Joses beheld where he was laid.
