Luke 23:18-33

¹⁸But they began to shout as one man, “Kill this fellow, but release Barabbas for us.”

¹⁹(Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had broken out in the city and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate, however, wanting to release Jesus, called to them again;

²¹but they kept calling out, “Crucify, crucify him!”

²²“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.”

²³But they persisted in loudly demanding his crucifixion; and their clamor gained the day.

²⁴Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

²⁵He 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.

²⁶And, 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.

²⁷There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

²⁸So Jesus turned and said to them, “Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹A 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!’

³⁰At that time people will begin to say to the mountains ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills ‘Cover us.’

³¹If what you see is done while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³²There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus.

³³When they had reached the place called ‘The Skull,’ there they crucified Jesus and the criminals, one on the right, and one on the left.