1   As soon as morning came, the chief priests, having made their plan with the elders and lawyers in full council, put Jesus in chains; then they led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2   Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He replied, ‘The words are yours.’ ^note 3   And the chief priests brought many charges against him. 4   Pilate questioned him again: ‘Have you nothing to say in your

The final conflict defence? You see how many charges they are bringing against you.’ 5   But, to Pilate's astonishment, Jesus made no further reply.

6   At the festival season the Governor used to release one prisoner at the people's request. 7   As it happened, the man known as Barabbas was then in custody with the rebels who had committed murder in the rising. 8   When the crowd appeared ^note asking for the usual favour, Pilate replied, 9   ‘Do you wish me to release for you the king of the Jews?’ 10   For he knew it was out of malice that they had brought Jesus before him. 11   But the chief priests incited the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas rather than Jesus. 12   Pilate spoke to them again: ‘Then what shall I do with the man you call king of the Jews?’ 13   They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ 14   ‘Why, what harm has he done?’ 15   Pilate asked; but they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, in his desire to satisfy the mob, released Barabbas to them; and he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

16   Then the soldiers took him inside the courtyard (the Governor's headquarters ^note) and called together the whole company. 17   They dressed him in purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, placed it on his head. 18   Then they began to salute him with, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 19   They beat him about the head with a cane and spat upon him, and then knelt and paid mock homage to him. 20   When they had finished their mockery, they stripped him of the purple and dressed him in his own clothes.

21   Then they took him out to crucify him. A man called Simon, from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they pressed him into service to carry his cross.

22   They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which means ‘Place of a skull’. 23   He was offered drugged wine, but he would not take it. 24   Then they fastened him to the cross. They divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should have.

25    26   The hour of the crucifixion was nine in the morning, and the inscription giving the charge against him read, ‘The king of the Jews.’ 27   Two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. ^note

The final conflict

29   The passers-by hurled abuse at him: ‘Aha!’ they cried, wagging their heads, ‘you would pull the temple down, would you, and build it in three days? 30   Come down from the cross and save yourself!’ 31   So too the chief priests and lawyers jested with one another: ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he cannot save himself. 32   Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross. If we see that, we shall believe.’ Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

33   At midday a darkness fell over the whole land, which lasted till three in the afternoon; 34   and at three Jesus cried aloud, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’, which means, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ ^note 35   Some of the bystanders, on hearing this, said, ‘Hark, he is calling Elijah.’ 36   A man ran and soaked a sponge in sour wine and held it to his lips on the end of a cane. ‘Let us see’, he said, ‘if Elijah will come to take him down.’ 37   Then Jesus gave a loud cry and died. 38   And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39   And when the centurion who was standing opposite him saw how he died, ^note he said, ‘Truly this man was a son of God.’ ^note

40   A number of women were also present, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, 41   and Salome, who had all followed him and waited on him when he was in Galilee, and there were several others who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

42   By this time evening had come; and as it was Preparation-day (that is, 43   the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathaea, a respected member of the Council, a man who looked forward to the kingdom of God, bravely went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44   Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead; so he sent for the centurion and asked him whether it was long since he died. 45   And when he heard the centurion's report, he gave Joseph leave to take the dead body. 46   So Joseph bought a linen sheet, took him down from the cross, and wrapped him in the sheet. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance. 47   And Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where he was laid.

The final conflict

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