Luke 23
23
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
1Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”
3So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
4Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”
5Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
6“Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 7When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12(Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
13Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”#23:16 Some manuscripts add verse 17, Now it was necessary for him to release one prisoner to them during the Passover celebration. Compare Matt 27:15; Mark 15:6; John 18:39.
18Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19(Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
The Crucifixion
26As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,#23:26 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa. happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’#23:30 Hos 10:8. 31For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?#23:31 Or If these things are done to me, the living tree, what will happen to you, the dry tree?”
32Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33When they came to a place called The Skull,#23:33 Sometimes rendered Calvary, which comes from the Latin word for “skull.” they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”#23:34a This sentence is not included in many ancient manuscripts. And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.#23:34b Greek by casting lots. See Ps 22:18.
35The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”#23:46 Ps 31:5. And with those words he breathed his last.
47When the Roman officer#23:47a Greek the centurion. overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.#23:47b Or righteous.” 48And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.#23:48 Greek went home beating their breasts. 49But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
The Burial of Jesus
50Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation,#23:54 Greek It was the day of preparation. as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
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Luke 23: NLT
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Luke 23
23
Jesus is Brought before Pilate
(Mt 27.1–2, 11–14; Mk 15.1–5; Jn 18.28–38)
1The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, 2where they began to accuse him: “We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”
3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“So you say,” answered Jesus.
4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to condemn this man.”
5But they insisted even more strongly, “With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.”
Jesus is Sent to Herod
6When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man a Galilean?” 7When he learnt that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. 9So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. 11Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.
Jesus is Sentenced to Death
(Mt 27.15–26; Mk 15.6–15; Jn 18.39—19.16)
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. 15Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. 16So I will have him whipped and let him go.”#23.16 Some manuscripts add verse 17: At every Passover Festival Pilate had to set free one prisoner for them (see Mk 15.6).
18The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” 19(Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
20Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. 21But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.”
23But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. 24So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. 25He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.
Jesus is Crucified
(Mt 27.32–44; Mk 15.21–32; Jn 19.17–27)
26The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. 28Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem! Don't cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. 29For the days are coming when people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!’ 30#Hos 10.8; Rev 6.16That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Hide us!’ 31For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. 33When they came to the place called “The Skull”, they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. 34#Ps 22.18Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”#23.34 Some manuscripts do not have Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”
They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. 35#Ps 22.7The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders jeered at him: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!”
36 #
Ps 69.21
The soldiers also mocked him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, 37and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!”
38Above him were written these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. 41Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” 42And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!”
43Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”
The Death of Jesus
(Mt 27.45–56; Mk 15.33–41; Jn 19.28–30)
44-45 #
Ex 26.31–33
It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. 46#Ps 31.5Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.
47The army officer saw what had happened, and he praised God, saying, “Certainly he was a good man!”
48When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow. 49#Lk 8.2–3All those who knew Jesus personally, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.
The Burial of Jesus
(Mt 27.57–61; Mk 15.42–47; Jn 19.38–42)
50-51There was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was a good and honourable man, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Although he was a member of the Council, he had not agreed with their decision and action. 52He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took the body down, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock and which had never been used. 54It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went with Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it. 56#Ex 20.10; Deut 5.14Then they went back home and prepared the spices and perfumes for the body.
On the Sabbath they rested, as the Law commanded.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.