Matthew 27:27–44

MOCKED BY THE MILITARY

²⁷Then^v the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole company^E around him.^{w 28}They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe.^{x 29}They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” ³⁰Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head. ³¹After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.^a

CRUCIFIED BETWEEN TWO CRIMINALS

³²As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced him to carry his cross.^{b 33}When they came to a place called Golgotha^c (which means Place of the Skull), ³⁴they gave him wine^A mixed with gall to drink. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots.^{Bd 36}Then they sat down and were guarding him there. ³⁷Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: This Is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

³⁸Then two criminals^C were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.^{e 39}Those who passed by were yelling insults at^D him, shaking their heads^{f 40}and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”^{g 41}In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders,^E mocked him and said, ⁴²“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel!^h Let him^F come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³He trusts in God; let God rescue him now—if he takes pleasure in him!^G For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” ⁴⁴In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him taunted him.ⁱ