Luke 23
1The whole gathering of them rose and led him before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Messiah, a king.” 3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 4Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge in this man.” 5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to here.” 6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7Learning that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time because he had heard about him, and he hoped to see some sign performed by him. 9He questioned him at length, but Jesus answered him nothing. 10The chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing him. 11Herod and his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; dressing him in a splendid robe, he sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day, for previously they had been enemies.
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one turning the people astray. Look, I have examined him before you and found in this man no basis for the charges you bring against him. 15Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing deserving death. 16So I will punish him and release him.” 18But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19He had been thrown into prison for an uprising that had taken place in the city, and for murder. 20Pilate addressed them again, wanting to release Jesus. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found no basis for a death sentence in him. So I will punish him and release him.” 23But they pressed him with loud voices, demanding that he be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24Pilate decided that their demand should be carried out. 25He released the man thrown into prison for uprising and murder, the one they asked for, but he handed Jesus over to their will.
26As they led him away, they seized a man named Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27A large crowd of the people followed him, including women who beat their breasts and lamented him. 28Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and your children. 29For look, days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nourished.’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32Two others, criminals, were also led away with him to be killed. 33When they came to the place called Skull, they crucified him there, and the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. 34But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” They divided his garments by casting lots. 35The people stood watching. The rulers also sneered, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if this is God's Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him: “This is the king of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging there blasphemed him, saying, “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence? 41And we justly so, because we are receiving what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” 43He said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44It was already about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45as the sun's light failed. The sanctuary curtain was torn down the middle. 46Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Truly this man was righteous.” 48All the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, returned beating their breasts. 49All his acquaintances stood at a distance, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, watching these things.
50And look, there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51who had not agreed with their decision and action. He was from Arimathea, a town of the Jews, and was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53He took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid him in a rock-cut tomb where no one had yet been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.