Luke 23:13–34

Pilate Seeks Jesus’ Release

¹³Pilate summoned the chief priests and the ^arulers and the people,

¹⁴and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who ^aincites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I ^bhave found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.

¹⁵“No, nor has ^aHerod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.

¹⁶“Therefore I will ^apunish Him and release Him.”

¹⁷¹Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.

¹⁸But they cried out all together, saying, “^aAway with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”

¹⁹(He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,

²¹but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

²²And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will ^apunish Him and release Him.”

²³But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.

²⁴And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.

²⁵And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Simon Bears the Cross

^26aWhen they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of ^bCyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

²⁷And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were ^1amourning and lamenting Him.

²⁸But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹“For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘^aBlessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’

³⁰“Then they will begin to ^asay to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’

³¹“For if they do these things ¹when the tree is green, what will happen ²when it is dry?”

^32aTwo others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.

The Crucifixion

^33aWhen they came to the place called ¹The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

³⁴¹But Jesus was saying, “^aFather, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” ^bAnd they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.