Chapter 23
1 The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate .
2 They began to accuse him , saying , " We found this man perverting the nation , forbidding paying taxes to Caesar , and saying that he himself is Christ , a king ."
3 Pilate asked him , " Are you the King of the Jews ?" He answered him , " So you say ."
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes , " I find no basis for a charge against this man ."
5 But they insisted, saying , " He stirs up the people , teaching throughout all Judea , beginning from Galilee even to this place ."
6 But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean .
7 When he found out that he was in Herod ’s jurisdiction , he sent him to Herod , who was also in Jerusalem during those days .
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus , he was exceedingly glad , for he had wanted to see him for a long time , because he had heard many things about him . He hoped to see some miracle done by him .
9 He questioned him with many words , but he gave no answers.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood , vehemently accusing him .
11 Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him . Dressing him in luxurious clothing , they sent him back to Pilate .
12 Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day , for before that they were enemies with each other .
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people ,
14 and said to them , " You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people , and behold , having examined him before you , I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him .
15 Neither has Herod , for I sent you to him , and see , nothing worthy of death has been done by him .
16 I will therefore chastise him and release him."
17 Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.
18 But they all cried out together , saying , "Away with this man ! Release to us Barabbas!"—
19 one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city , and for murder .
20 Then Pilate spoke to them again , wanting to release Jesus ,
21 but they shouted , saying , " Crucify ! Crucify him !"
22 He said to them the third time , " Why ? What evil has this man done ? I have found no capital crime in him . I will therefore chastise him and release him ."
23 But they were urgent with loud voices , asking that he might be crucified . Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed .
24 Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done .
25 He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder , for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will .
26 When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene , coming from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry it after Jesus .
27 A great multitude of the people followed him , including women who also mourned and lamented him .
28 But Jesus , turning to them , said , " Daughters of Jerusalem , don’ t weep for me , but weep for yourselves and for your children .
29 For behold , the days are coming in which they will say , ‘ Blessed are the barren , the wombs that never bore , and the breasts that never nursed .’
30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains , ‘ Fall on us !’ and tell the hills , ‘ Cover us .’
31 For if they do these things in the green tree , what will be done in the dry ?"
32 There were also others , two criminals , led with him to be put to death.
33 When they came to the place that is called " The Skull ", they crucified him there with the criminals , one on the right and the other on the left.
34 Jesus said , " Father , forgive them , for they don’ t know what they are doing ." Dividing his garments amongst them , they cast lots .
35 The people stood watching . The rulers with them also scoffed at him , saying , " He saved others . Let him save himself , if this is the Christ of God , his chosen one !"
36 The soldiers also mocked him , coming to him and offering him vinegar ,
37 and saying , " If you are the King of the Jews , save yourself !"
38 An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: " THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS ."
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him , saying , " If you are the Christ , save yourself and us !"
40 But the other answered , and rebuking him said , "Don’ t you even fear God , seeing you are under the same condemnation ?
41 And we indeed justly , for we receive the due reward for our deeds , but this man has done nothing wrong."
42 He said to Jesus , " Lord , remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
43 Jesus said to him , "Assuredly I tell you , today you will be with me in Paradise ."
44 It was now about the sixth hour , and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour .
45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two .
46 Jesus , crying with a loud voice , said , " Father , into your hands I commit my spirit !" Having said this , he breathed his last .
47 When the centurion saw what was done , he glorified God , saying , " Certainly this was a righteous man ."
48 All the multitudes that came together to see this , when they saw the things that were done , returned home beating their chests .
49 All his acquaintances and the women who followed with him from Galilee stood at a distance , watching these things .
50 Behold , there was a man named Joseph , who was a member of the council , a good and righteous man
51 ( he had not consented to their counsel and deed ), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews , who was also waiting for God ’s Kingdom.
52 This man went to Pilate , and asked for Jesus ’ body .
53 He took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth , and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone , where no one had ever been laid .
54 It was the day of the Preparation , and the Sabbath was drawing near.
55 The women who had come with him out of Galilee followed after , and saw the tomb and how his body was laid .
56 They returned and prepared spices and ointments . On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment .