Luke 23:18-53

¹⁸But they all shouted together, “Kill this man, and release Barabbas to us.”

¹⁹(Barabbas had been put in prison for taking part in a rebellion in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate wanted to release Jesus, so spoke to them again.

²¹But they kept on shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²Pilate asked them for the third time, “But why? What crime has he committed? I don't find any reason for executing him. So I will have him flogged and then release him.”

²³But they continued insisting with loud shouts, demanding that he be crucified. Their shouting succeeded,

²⁴and Pilate gave the sentence they demanded.

²⁵He released the man imprisoned for rebellion and murder, but he sent Jesus to be put to death in accordance with their demands.

²⁶As the soldiers led him away, they seized a man called Simon of Cyrene, who had come in from the countryside. They put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

²⁷A large crowd followed him, along with women who were mourning and lamenting him.

²⁸Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me. Weep for yourselves and your children.

²⁹For the time is coming when they'll say, ‘Happy are those who are childless, and those who never had babies, and those who never nursed them.’

³⁰They'll say to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’

³¹For if they do this to wood that is green, what will happen when it's dried out?”

³²They also took two others who were criminals to be executed with him.

³³When they reached the place called the Skull they crucified him together with the criminals, one on his right, and the other on his left.

³⁴Jesus said, “Father, please forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing.” They divided up his clothes by throwing dice for them.

³⁵The people stood and watched and the leaders sneered at Jesus. “He saved others, let him save himself, if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One,” they said.

³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up to him and offering him wine vinegar, saying,

³⁷“If you're the King of the Jews, then save yourself.”

³⁸Above Jesus was a sign on which it was written, “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹One of the criminals hanging there joined in the insults against Jesus. “Aren't you the Messiah?” he asked. “Then save yourself—and us too!”

⁴⁰But the other criminal disagreed and argued with him, “Don't you fear God even when you're suffering the same punishment?” he asked.

⁴¹“For us the sentence is right since we're being punished for what we did, but this man didn't do anything wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, please remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³Jesus replied, “I promise you today you will be with me in paradise.”

⁴⁴By this time it was around noon and darkness fell over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

⁴⁵The sun's light was shut out, and the Temple veil was torn in two.

⁴⁶Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, I place myself in your hands.” Having said this he breathed his last.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had happened he praised God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”

⁴⁸When all the crowds that had come to watch saw what happened they went home beating their chests in grief.

⁴⁹But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who'd followed him from Galilee, watched from a distance.

⁵⁰There was a man called Joseph who was good and honest. He was a member of the council,

⁵¹but he hadn't agreed with its decisions and actions. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.

⁵²Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.

⁵³Once he'd taken it down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth. He laid Jesus in an unused tomb cut into the rock.