John 19
1 So Pilate then took Jesus and flogged him.
Then Pilate took Jesus [inside and had soldiers] (scourge Jesus/strike Jesus with a whip that had pieces of metal or bone fastened to it).
2 The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple garment.
The soldiers also took [some branches with] thorns and wove them to make [something like] a crown. Then they put it on his head. They also put a purple robe on him. [They did these things to ridicule him by pretending that he was a king].
3 They kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they kept slapping him.
Then they kept coming to him and saying, “Hooray for the King of the Jews [IRO]!” and slapping him [on his face].
4 Then Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
Once more Pilate came outside and said to the crowd, “Look! I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I do not find that he has done anything for which we should punish him [any more].”
5 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Look at this [wretched] man!”
6 When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.”
When the chief priests and Temple guards saw him, they shouted, “Command your soldiers to kill him by nailing him to a cross! Crucify him!” Pilate, [knowing that they could not legally do it themselves], said to them, “You yourselves take him and nail him to a cross! As for me, I do not find that he has done anything for which we should punish him.”
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] replied, “[Our ancestor Moses gave us] the law that says we must kill anyone [who claims to be God]. This man claims that he is (the Son of/the man who is also) God, [so you must have him killed] {[command your soldiers to kill him]}.”
8 When therefore Pilate heard this saying, he was more afraid.
When Pilate heard that, he was more afraid [of what would happen to himself if he commanded the soldiers to kill Jesus].
9 He entered into the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
So he [took Jesus] back inside the headquarters. He said to Jesus, “Where do you [really] come from?” But Jesus did not answer him.
10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Aren’t you speaking to me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you and have power to crucify you?”
So Pilate said to him, “Are you refusing to answer me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I [also] have authority to [have] you crucified {command my soldiers to crucify you}?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin.”
Jesus replied, “The only authority you have is what has been given to you by God [MTY] {what God [MTY] has given you}. The [high priest] put me into your hands. [He has done to me what he wanted to do, and you do not really want to do it]. So he is guilty of committing a greater sin than you are.”
12 At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you release this man, you aren’t Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”
Because of that, Pilate kept trying to release Jesus. But the Jewish [leaders][SYN], [threatening to report to the Emperor that Pilate was not going to punish a man who claimed he was a king], continued to shout, “Anyone who claims that he is a king is opposing the Emperor! So if you release this man, [we will make sure that] the Emperor [learns about it, and then he will not consider you as] his friend!”
13 When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called “The Pavement”, but in Hebrew, “Gabbatha.”
When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out again. He sat down at the place where he made decisions [about punishing people]. The place was called {People called it} The Stone Pavement. In the Aramaic language its name was Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”
It was almost noontime, on the day that they prepared [things for] the Passover [celebration] (OR, the day before the [Sabbath during] the Passover [celebration]). Pilate said to the Jewish [leaders] [SYN], [ridiculing them], “Look at your king!”
15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! [Have] him crucified {Command your soldiers to nail him to a cross}!” Pilate said to them, “[He is] your king! Do you really want me to [tell my soldiers to] nail him to a cross?” The chief priests replied, “The Emperor is our king! We do not have any other king!”
16 So then he delivered him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away.
Then [at last] Pilate agreed to do [what they wanted, and he told the soldiers] to crucify Jesus. John 19:16b-24 Then the soldiers took Jesus away.
17 He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”,
[As they left], he himself was carrying the cross [on which they were going to nail him]. They went to a place called The Place of a Skull. In the Aramaic language it is called {they call it} Golgotha.
18 where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the middle.
There, [after removing most of his clothes], the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They also [nailed] two other [criminals to crosses]. There was one on each side, and Jesus was in the middle.
19 Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. There was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Pilate also [had them] write [on a board] a notice [that stated why they were executing him], and fasten it to the cross. But all they wrote was ‘Jesus from Nazareth, the King of the Jews’.
20 Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
Many Jews were [able to] read this sign, because the place where Jesus was nailed {where they nailed Jesus} to the cross was very close to [Jerusalem, where many people had come for the celebration], and because it was written {they wrote it} in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
21 The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘he said, “I am King of the Jews.”’”
So the Jewish priests went back to Pilate and protested, saying to him, “Change what they have written from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘This man said that he is the King of the Jews’!”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
Pilate replied, “What I [told them to] write is what they have written, [and I] will not [change it].”
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
After the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. But they kept his cloak [separate]. This cloak was without seam, woven [from top to bottom], one piece of cloth.
24 Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
So they said to each other, “Let’s not tear it. Instead, let’s [decide] ([by] throwing lots/[by] gambling) who will get it.” So that is what the soldiers did. As a result, these words were fulfilled {they fulfilled these words} that [the Psalmist had written] in Scripture, They divided [most of] my clothes among themselves. They cast lots for [one piece of] my clothing.
25 But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Near the cross where [they had nailed] Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and [another] Mary, the woman from Magdala [village].
26 Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
Jesus saw his mother standing there. He also saw me standing nearby. Then he said to his mother, “This man [will now be like] your son.”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
And he said to me, “[Treat this] woman as [MET] your mother.” So from that time I took her to my home [and took care of her].
28 After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty!”
Later, Jesus knew that everything [that God sent him to do] had now been completed {that he had now completed everything [that God sent him to do]}, [but he knew that something else that was written in] the Scriptures [had] to be fulfilled {[that he had] to fulfill [something else that they had written in] the Scriptures}. So he said, “I am thirsty!”
29 Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth.
There was a jar of sour wine there. So [someone took] a stalk of [a plant called] hyssop and [fastened] a sponge [to it. Then] he dipped [the sponge into the wine and] lifted it up to Jesus’ lips.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
When Jesus tasted the sour wine, he shouted, “[I] have finished [all that I came to do]!” Then he bowed his head and (died/handed over his spirit [to God]).
31 Therefore the Jews, because it was the Preparation Day, so that the bodies wouldn’t remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special one), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.
That was the day that they prepared [everything for their] ([Sabbath/day of rest]). The next day was a special day of rest, [because it was the day of rest during the Passover celebration]. The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] did not want the bodies [of the three men] to remain on the cross during their (Sabbath/day of rest) [because leaving bodies hanging overnight would be contrary to their Jewish laws]. So they went to Pilate and asked him [to command that] the legs [of the three men on the crosses] be broken {the [soldiers] to break the legs [of the three men on the crosses]}, [so that they would die quickly]. Then their [bodies] could be taken down [and buried] {someone could take down their bodies [and bury them]}.
32 Therefore the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with him;
So, [after Pilate agreed], the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man whom they had nailed on a cross near Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the second man.
33 but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs.
But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was dead already. So they did not break his legs.
34 However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear [to make sure that Jesus was dead]. Immediately blood [clots] and [other] liquid flowed out, [which showed that Jesus was really dead].
35 He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe.
I, [John], saw this myself, and what I am writing is true. I [know that] I am telling the truth, and I am saying this in order that you may believe [in] (OR, [my testimony about]) [Jesus].
36 For these things happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.”
These things happened in order that these words would be fulfilled {to fulfill these words} [that are written in] Scripture: “Not one of his bones will be broken {No one will break any of his bones}.”
37 Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.”
And [they fulfilled] another Scripture passage [that has these words]: ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced’.
38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and took away his body.
Later, Joseph, from Arimathea [town, went to Pilate and] asked Pilate [to allow him] to take Jesus’ body [down from the cross]. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but he did not tell anyone that, because he was afraid of the [other] Jewish [leaders] [SYN]. Pilate permitted him to take Jesus’ body, so he went, along [with others], and they took Jesus’ body [down from the cross].
39 Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds.
Nicodemus was one of them. He was the man who previously went to visit Jesus at night. Nicodemus bought an [expensive] mixture of myrrh and aloe [spices to put on the body]. It weighed about (75 pounds/35 kilograms).
40 So they took Jesus’ body, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped strips of linen cloth around it, putting the spices in with the strips of cloth. They did this according to the Jewish customs [about burying bodies in tombs].
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had ever yet been laid.
Close to the place where Jesus was crucified {where they nailed Jesus to the cross} there was a grove [of trees], and [at the edge of] that grove was a new burial cave. Nobody had ever been put in that cave [previously].
42 Then, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day (for the tomb was near at hand), they laid Jesus there.
The Jewish day of rest would start [at sunset, and they had to finish burying his body before then]. So, since that cave was nearby, they laid Jesus’ body there [and rolled a huge stone in front of the entrance].
