Mark 15
15
Standing Before Pilate
1At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.
2-3Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.
4-5Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.
6-10It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.
11-12But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”
13They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”
But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”
15Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.
16-20The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
The Crucifixion
21There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.
22-24The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25-30They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”
31-32The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33-34At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35-36Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
37-39But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”
Taken to a Tomb
40-41There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42-45Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.
46-47Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.
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Mark 15: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Mark 15
15
1And immediately in the morning the chief priests, having taken counsel with the elders and scribes and the whole sanhedrim, bound Jesus and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, Thou sayest. 3And the chief priests accused him urgently. 4And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? See of how many things they bear witness against thee. 5But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled. 6But at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they begged of him. 7Now there was the person named Barabbas bound with those who had made insurrection with him, and that had committed murder in the insurrection. 8And the crowd crying out began to beg that he would do to them as he had always done. 9But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? 10for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up through envy. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd that he might rather release Barabbas to them. 12And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do to him whom ye call King of the Jews? 13And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him.
15And Pilate, desirous of contenting the crowd, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified. 16And the soldiers led him away into the court which is called the praetorium, and they call together the whole band. 17And they clothe him with purple, and bind round on him a crown of thorns which they had plaited. 18And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19And they struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and, bending the knee, did him homage. 20And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him; and they lead him out that they may crucify him. 21And they compel to go with them a certain passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he might carry his cross.
22And they bring him to the place called Golgotha, which, being interpreted, is Place of a skull. 23And they offered him wine to drink medicated with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24And having crucified him, they part his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots on them, what each one should take. 25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26And the superscription of what he was accused of was written up: The King of the Jews. 27And with him they crucify two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled which says, And he was reckoned with the lawless. 29And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, Aha, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, 30save thyself, and descend from the cross. 31In like manner the chief priests also, with the scribes, mocking with one another, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let the Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and may believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him.
33And when the sixth hour was come, there came darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour; 34and at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35And some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls for Elias. 36And one, running and filling a sponge with vinegar, fixed it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone, let us see if Elias comes to take him down. 37And Jesus, having uttered a loud cry, expired. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. 39And the centurion who stood by over against him, when he saw that he had expired having thus cried out, said, Truly this man was Son of God. 40And there were women also looking on from afar off, among whom were both Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered to him; and many others who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42And when it was already evening, since it was the preparation, that is, the day before a sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor, who also himself was awaiting the kingdom of God, coming, emboldened himself and went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. 44And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and having called to him the centurion, he inquired of him if he had long died. 45And when he knew from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46And having bought fine linen, and having taken him down, he swathed him in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was cut out of rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. 47And Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was put.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.