1The whole group stood up and brought Jesus to Pilate.
2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, telling people not to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a king.”
3Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Those are your words.”
4Pilate told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to charge this man with any crime.”
5But they insisted strongly, saying, “He is stirring up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee all the way to this place.”
6When Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was from Galilee.
7Once he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s authority, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was extremely happy because he had wanted to see him for a long time, having heard many stories about him. He hoped Jesus would perform some miracle.
9Herod questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave no answers.
10The chief priests and the scribes stood there, strongly accusing him.
11Herod and his soldiers made fun of him, humiliated him, and dressed him in fancy clothes. Then they sent him back to Pilate.
12That day, Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends.
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
14and said to them, “You brought this man to me, claiming he was misleading the people. Look, I have questioned him in front of you and found no reason to charge him with the things you accuse him of.
15Herod didn’t either, because I sent him to him, and see, he has done nothing worthy of death.
16So I will punish him and let him go.”
17At each festival, Pilate had to release one prisoner to them.
18But everyone shouted, “Get rid of this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
19Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for a riot in the city and for murder.
20Pilate spoke to them again, because he wanted to release Jesus,
21but they yelled, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22A third time he asked them, “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will punish him and let him go.”
23But they kept shouting loudly, demanding that he be crucified. Their shouting and the demands of the chief priests won out.
24Pilate ordered that their request be granted.
25He released the man they asked for, who had been put in prison for rebellion and murder, but he handed Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
26As they led Jesus away, they forced a man named Simon from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside, to carry the cross behind Jesus.
27A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were weeping and mourning for him.
28But Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me, but cry for yourselves and for your children.
29Because the time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who cannot have children, those who never gave birth, and those who never nursed a baby.’
30Then people will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’
31Because if they do these things when things are going well, what will happen when times are bad?”
32There were also two other men, who were criminals, led with him to be executed.
33When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there. They also crucified two criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.” They divided his clothes among them by throwing dice.
35The people stood there watching. The leaders also mocked him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36The soldiers also made fun of him, coming up and offering him sour wine,
37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38An announcement was also written above him in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39One of the criminals who was hanging there insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
40But the other criminal answered, and scolding him said, “Don’t you even fear God, since you are suffering the same punishment?
41We are punished justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43Jesus said to him, “I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44It was now about noon, and darkness covered the whole land until three in the afternoon.
45The sun was darkened, and the curtain in the Temple was torn in two.
46Jesus, crying out in a loud voice, said, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” After saying this, he died.
47When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this was an innocent man.”
48All the crowds that had gathered to watch, when they saw what happened, returned home beating their chests in grief.
49All his acquaintances, and the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50There was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and fair man
51(he had not agreed with their plan and actions). He was from Arimathea, a Jewish town, and he was also waiting for God’s Kingdom.
52This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
53He took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb cut into rock, where no one had ever been placed before.
54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it.
56Then they went back home and prepared spices and perfumes. On the Sabbath, they rested as the Law commanded.