1Then the whole group got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. 2They began to bring charges against Jesus. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people. He is against paying taxes to Caesar. And he claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd. He announced, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5But they kept it up. They said, “His teaching stirs up the people all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was from Galilee. 7He learned that Jesus was from Herod’s area of authority. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. At that time Herod was also in Jerusalem.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased. He had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard much about him. He hoped to see Jesus perform a sign of some kind. 9Herod asked him many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there. With loud shouts they brought charges against him. 11Herod and his soldiers laughed at him and made fun of him. They dressed him in a beautiful robe. Then they sent him back to Pilate. 12That day Herod and Pilate became friends. Before this time they had been enemies.
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people. 14He said to them, “You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Herod hasn’t either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death. 16-17So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”
18But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill this man! But let Barabbas go!” 19Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder.
20Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22Pilate spoke to them for the third time. “Why?” he asked. “What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”
23But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people’s shouts won out. 24So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. 25He set free the man they asked for. The man had been thrown in prison for murder and for fighting against the authorities. Pilate handed Jesus over to them so they could carry out their plans.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
26As the soldiers 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 weep for me. Weep 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!” ’ (Hosea 10:8)
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 God’s Messiah, 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 Messiah? 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.”
Jesus Dies
44It was now about noon. Then darkness covered the whole land until three o’clock. 45The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two. 46Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my life.” After he said this, he took his last breath.
47The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, “Jesus was surely a man who did what was right.” 48The people had gathered to watch this sight. When they saw what happened, they felt very sad. Then they went away. 49But all those who knew Jesus stood not very far away, watching these things. They included the women who had followed him from Galilee.
Jesus Is Buried
50A man named Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council. He was a good and honest man. 51Joseph had not agreed with what the leaders had decided and done. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He himself was waiting for God’s kingdom. 52Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53Joseph took it down and wrapped it in linen cloth. Then he placed it in a tomb cut in the rock. No one had ever been buried there. 54It was Preparation Day. The Sabbath day was about to begin.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was placed in it. 56Then they went home. There they prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath day in order to obey the Law.
在彼拉多面前受審
1於是，眾人動身把耶穌押到彼拉多那裡， 2指控祂說：「這人蠱惑民心，禁止百姓向凱撒納稅，又說自己是基督，是君王。」
3彼拉多問耶穌：「你是猶太人的王嗎？」
耶穌回答說：「如你所言。」
4彼拉多轉過身來，對祭司長和百姓宣佈：「我查不出這人有什麼罪。」 5但他們堅持說：「這個人從加利利開始一直到這裡，在猶太地區四處傳道，煽動民心。」
6彼拉多聽後，問道：「祂是加利利人嗎？」 7他得知耶穌來自分封王希律的轄區後，便把耶穌送交希律，希律剛巧在耶路撒冷。
在希律面前受辱
8希律見到耶穌，十分高興，因為他聽過耶穌的事，早就想見祂，希望看祂行神蹟。 9他問了耶穌許多問題，耶穌卻一言不發。 10祭司長和律法教師站在那裡極力地指控耶穌。
11希律和他的衛兵嘲弄侮辱耶穌，給祂穿上華麗的袍子，把祂押回彼拉多那裡。 12希律和彼拉多向來互相敵視，但在那一天竟化敵為友。
無辜被判死罪
13彼拉多召來祭司長、官長和百姓， 14對他們說：「你們帶這個人來，指控祂煽動百姓造反，我當著你們的面審問了祂，卻查不出祂有任何你們指控祂的罪。 15希律也查不出祂有什麼罪，所以把祂送回來了。可見，這人並沒有犯什麼該死的罪。 16因此，我要懲戒祂，然後釋放祂。」 17每逢逾越節，總督總是按慣例給他們釋放一個囚犯。23·17 有古卷無「每逢逾越節，總督總是按慣例為他們釋放一個囚犯。」
18這時，眾人齊聲呼喊：「殺掉祂！釋放巴拉巴！」 19巴拉巴是因在城裡叛亂殺人而被下在監裡的。
20彼拉多想釋放耶穌，便勸解他們。 21但他們一直喊：「把祂釘在十字架上！把祂釘在十字架上！」
22彼拉多第三次問百姓：「為什麼？祂犯了什麼罪？我找不出該處死祂的罪證。因此，我要懲戒祂，然後釋放祂。」
23眾人卻繼續大聲喊叫，執意要求把耶穌釘在十字架上。最後，他們的聲勢佔了上風。 24於是，彼拉多依照他們的要求， 25釋放了叛亂殺人的囚犯巴拉巴，並把耶穌交給他們任意處置。
釘十字架
26他們帶耶穌出去的時候，抓住從鄉下來的古利奈人西門，讓他背著十字架跟在耶穌後面。
27有一大群人跟在耶穌後面，其中有不少婦女為耶穌傷心痛哭。 28耶穌轉過身來，對她們說：「耶路撒冷的女兒啊，不要為我哭，為你們自己和你們的兒女哭吧！ 29因為日子快到了，人們將說，『不曾生育、不曾懷孕、不曾哺乳的女子有福了！』 30到時候，人們會向大山說，『倒在我們身上吧！』又會對小山說，『遮蓋我們吧！』 31樹木青蔥的時候，他們尚且做這些事，樹木枯乾的時候，又會怎樣呢？23·31 此句或譯「他們尚且如此對待青蔥的樹木，將來又會怎樣對待枯乾的樹木呢？」」
32當時有兩個罪犯和耶穌一同被押去受刑。 33他們到了一個叫「髑髏」的地方，便把耶穌釘在十字架上，又將兩個罪犯分別釘在祂左右兩邊。
34耶穌禱告說：「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們不知道自己在做什麼。」士兵抽籤分了耶穌的衣裳。
35百姓站著觀看，官長嘲笑耶穌說：「祂救了別人，如果祂是上帝所選立的基督，讓祂救自己吧！」
36士兵們也戲弄祂，拿了些酸酒上前給祂喝， 37又說：「如果你是猶太人的王，救救自己呀！」
38耶穌上方有一塊牌子，上面寫著：「這是猶太人的王」。
39跟耶穌同釘十字架的一個罪犯也譏笑耶穌，說：「你不是基督嗎？救你自己和我們呀！」
40另一個罪犯卻責備他說：「你同樣是受刑的，難道不怕上帝嗎？ 41我們是罪有應得，但這個人沒有犯過罪。」 42他隨即懇求耶穌：「耶穌啊，當你來執掌王權的時候，請你記得我。」
43耶穌對他說：「我實在告訴你，今天你要和我一起在樂園裡了。」
耶穌之死
44那時大約是正午，黑暗籠罩著整個大地，一直到下午三點， 45太陽黯然無光。忽然掛在聖殿裡的幔子從中間裂成兩半。 46耶穌大聲喊著說：「父啊，我將我的靈魂交在你手中。」說完，就斷氣了。
47百夫長見此情形，便讚美上帝，說：「這人的確是個義人。」
48圍觀的人見狀，無不捶胸頓足黯然離去。 49耶穌熟識的人和從加利利跟著祂來的婦女們都站在遠處觀看。
耶穌的安葬
50有一位名叫約瑟的公會議員心地善良、為人正直， 51住在猶太地區的亞利馬太城，一直在等候上帝國的降臨。他並不苟同公會的決定。 52他去求見彼拉多，要求領取耶穌的遺體。 53他把耶穌的遺體從十字架上取下來，用細麻布裹好，然後安放在一個從岩壁上鑿出的新墓穴裡。 54當天是預備日，安息日快到了。
55和耶穌一起從加利利來的婦女跟在約瑟後面，看到了耶穌的墳墓，並且看到祂的遺體被安放好之後， 56便回家去預備香料和膏油。安息日到了，她們按律法的規定休息了一天。
