Luke 23:27-55

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.

³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” His clothes they divided among them by casting lots.

³⁵Meanwhile the people stood looking on. Even the leading men said with a sneer, “He saved others, let him save himself, if he is God's Christ, his chosen one.”

³⁶The soldiers, too, came up in mockery, bringing him common wine,

³⁷and saying as they did so, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸Above him were the words — ‘THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.’

³⁹One of the criminals who were hanging beside Jesus railed at him. “Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us,” he said.

⁴⁰But the other rebuked him. “Haven't you,” he said, “any fear of God, now that you are under the same sentence?

⁴¹And we justly so, for we are only reaping our deserts, but this man has not done anything wrong.

⁴²Jesus,” he went on, “do not forget me when you have come to your kingdom.”

⁴³And Jesus answered, “I tell you, this very day you will be with me in Paradise.”

⁴⁴It was nearly midday, when a darkness came over the whole country, lasting until three in the afternoon,

⁴⁵the sun being eclipsed; and the Temple curtain was torn down the middle.

⁴⁶Then Jesus, with a loud cry, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And with these words he expired.

⁴⁷The Roman captain, on seeing what had happened, praised God, exclaiming, “This must have been a good man!”

⁴⁸All the people who had collected to see the sight watched what occurred, and then went home beating their breasts.

⁴⁹All the friends of Jesus had been standing at a distance, with the women who accompanied him from Galilee, watching all this.

⁵⁰Now there was a man of the name of Joseph, who was a member of the Council, and who bore a good and upright character.

⁵¹(This man had not assented to the decision and action of the Council.) He belonged to Ramah, a town in Judea, and lived in expectation of the kingdom of God.

⁵²He now went to see Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus;

⁵³and, when he had taken it down, he wrapped it in a linen sheet, and laid him in a tomb cut out of stone, in which no one had yet been buried.

⁵⁴It was the Preparation day, and just before the Sabbath began.

⁵⁵The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how the body of Jesus was laid,