Luke 23:26–43

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

²⁶As they led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon. Simon was from Cyrene. He was on his way in from the country. They put a wooden cross on his shoulders. Then they made him carry it behind Jesus.

²⁷A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of him.

²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹The time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the women who can’t have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!’ ³⁰It is written,

“ ‘The people will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”

They’ll say to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

³¹People do these things when trees are green. So what will happen when trees are dry?”

³²Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law. ³³The soldiers brought them to the place called The Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left.

³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.

³⁵The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

³⁶The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine vinegar. ³⁷They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸A written sign had been placed above him. It read, This Is the King of the Jews.

³⁹One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself! Save us!”

⁴⁰But the other criminal scolded him. “Don’t you have any respect for God?” he said. “Remember, you are under the same sentence of death. ⁴¹We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³Jesus answered him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”