1 Then the whole body of them rose and led him to Pilate. 2 They proceeded to accuse him, saying, "We have discovered this fellow perverting our nation, forbidding tribute being paid to Caesar, and alleging he is king messiah."
3 Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He replied, "Certainly."
4 And Pilate said to the high priests and the crowds, "I cannot find anything criminal about him."
5 But they insisted, "He stirs up the people by teaching all over Judaea. He started from Galilee and now he is here."
6 When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was a Galilean, 7 and ascertaining that he came under the jurisdiction of Herod, he remitted him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem during those days. 8 Herod was greatly delighted to see Jesus; he had long wanted to see him, because he had heard about him and also because he hoped to see him perform some miracle. 9 But though he put many questions to him, Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Meanwhile the high priests and scribes stood and accused him with might and main. 11 Then Herod and his troops scoffed at him and made fun of him, and after arraying him in a bright robe he remitted him to Pilate. 12 Herod and Pilate became friends that day ??previously they had been at enmity.
13 Then summoning the high priests and rulers and the people, 14 Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him. 15 No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death; 16 so I shall release him with a whipping." 17 --
18 But they shouted one and all, "Away with him! Release Bar-Abbas for us!" 19 (This was a man who had been put into prison on account of a riot which had taken place in the city and also on a charge of murder.)
20 Again Pilate addressed them, for he wanted to release Jesus, 21 but they roared, "To the cross, to the cross with him!"
22 He asked them a third time, "But what crime has he committed? I have found nothing about him that deserves death; so I shall release him with a whipping."
23 But they loudly urged their demand that he should be crucified, and their shouts carried the day. 24 Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out; 25 he released the man they wanted, the man who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and Jesus he handed over to their will.
26 As they led him off they caught hold of Simon a Cyrenian on his way from the country and laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. 27 He was followed by a large multitude of the people and also of women who beat their breasts and lamented him; 28 but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children! 29 For there are days coming when the cry will be, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never have borne and the breasts that never have suckled!' 30 Then will people say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' 31 For if this is what they do when the wood is green, what will they do when the wood is dry?"
32 Two criminals were also led out with him to be executed, 33 and when they came to the place called The Skull they crucified him there along with the criminals, one at his right and one at his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." Then they distributed his clothes among themselves by drawing lots.
35 The people stood and looked on, and even the rulers sneered at him, saying, "He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!" 36 The soldiers made fun of him too by coming up and handing him vinegar, 37 saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 (For there was an inscription over him in Greek and Latin and Hebrew characters, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.)
39 One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well."
40 But the other checked him, saying, "Have you no fear even of God? You are suffering the same punishment as he. 41 And we suffer justly; we are getting what we deserve for our deeds. But he has done no harm." 42 And he added, "Jesus, do not forget me when you come to reign."
43 "I tell you truly," said Jesus, "you will be in paradise with me this very day."
44 By this time it was about twelve o'clock, and darkness covered the whole land till three o'clock, 45 owing to an eclipse of the sun; the curtain in the middle of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then with a loud cry Jesus said, "Father, I trust my spirit to thy hands," and with these words he expired.
47 When the army-captain saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "This man was really innocent." 48 And when all the crowds who had collected for the sight saw what had happened, they turned away beating their breasts. 49 As for his acquaintances, they were all standing at a distance to look on, with the women who had accompanied him from Galilee.
50 Now there was a man called Joseph, a member of council but a good and just man 51 who had not voted for their plan of action; he belonged to Arimathaea, a Jewish town, and he was on the outlook for the Reign of God. 52 This Joseph went to Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. 53 He then took it down, wrapped it in linen, and put it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been buried. 54 It was the day of the Preparation and the sabbath was just dawning. 55 So the women who had accompanied him from Galilee and who had followed Joseph, noted the tomb and the position of the body; 56 then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.