Luke 23:13–34

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.^{g 15}Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶Therefore, I will punish him^h and then release him.” ^[17]a

¹⁸But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{i 19}(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^j

²³But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

23:33–43pp—Mt 27:33–44; Mk 15:22–32; Jn 19:17–24

²⁶As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,^k who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{l 27}A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed^m for him. ²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.^{n 29}For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’^{o 30}Then

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

and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’^bp

³¹For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^q

³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.^{r 33}When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father,^s forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^ct And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^u