Luke 23:13–34

JESUS OR BARABBAS

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,^{u 14}and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who misleads the people.^v But in fact, after examining him in your presence, I have found no grounds^w to charge this man with those things you accuse him of. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶Therefore, I will have him whipped^Cx and then release him.”

¹⁸Then^y they all cried out together, “Take this man away!^z Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹(He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Wanting to release Jesus,^aa Pilate addressed them again, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

²²A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong?^ab I have found in him no grounds^ac for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him.”

²³But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified, and their voices^E won out. ²⁴So^ad Pilate decided to grant their demand^{ae 25}and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.^af

THE WAY TO THE CROSS

²⁶As^ag they led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian,^ah who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross^ai on him to carry behind Jesus. ²⁷A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were mourning and lamenting him.^{aj 28}But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem,^ak do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. ²⁹Look, the days are coming^al when they will say, ‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’^{am 30}Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’^{Fan 31}For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^ao

CRUCIFIED BETWEEN TWO CRIMINALS

³²Two others—criminals^ap—were also led away to be executed with him. ³³When^aq they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father,^a forgive^b them, because they do not know what they are doing.”^Ac And they divided his clothes and cast lots.^d