1 As soon as it was daylight, the chief priests, after holding a consultation with elders and teachers of the Law – that is to say, the whole High Council – put Jesus in chains, and took him away, and gave him up to Pilate. 2“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “It is true,” replied Jesus. 3Then the chief priests brought a number of charges against him. 4 So Pilate questioned Jesus again. “Have you no reply to make?” he asked. “Listen, how many charges they are bringing against you.” 5But Jesus still made no reply whatever; at which Pilate was astonished.

6Now, at the feast, Pilate used to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might ask for. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison, with the rioters who had committed murder during a riot. 8So, when the crowd went up and began to ask Pilate to follow his usual custom, 9he answered, “Do you want me to release the ‘king of the Jews’ for you?” 10For he was aware that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had given Jesus up to him. 11But the chief priests incited the crowd to get Barabbas released instead. 12Pilate, however, spoke to them again, “What should I do then with the man whom you call the ‘king of the Jews’?” 13Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

14“Why, what harm has he done?” Pilate kept saying to them. But they shouted furiously, “Crucify him!” 15And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and, after scourging Jesus, gave him up to be crucified.

16The soldiers then took Jesus away into the courtyard – that is the Government house – and they called the whole garrison together. 17They dressed him in a purple robe, and, having twisted a crown of thorns, put it on him, 18and then began to salute him. “Long life to you, king of the Jews!” they said. 19And they kept striking him on the head with a rod, spitting at him, and bowing to the ground before him – going down on their knees; 20and, when they had left off mocking him, they took off the purple robe, and put his own clothes on him.

21They led Jesus out to crucify him; and they compelled a passer-by, Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them to carry his cross.

22They brought Jesus to the place which was known as Golgotha – a name which means ‘place of a Skull.’ 23There they offered him drugged wine; but Jesus refused it. 24Then they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots for them, to settle what each should take.

25It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26The words of the charge against him, written up over his head, read – ‘THE KING OF THE JEWS.’ 27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on the right, and the other on the left. 28*Some later manuscripts add: And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘He was counted among outlaws.’

29The passers-by railed at him, shaking their heads, as they said, “Ah! You who would destroy the Temple and build one in three days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31In the same way the chief priests, with the teachers of the Law, said to one another in mockery, 32“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the ‘king of Israel,’ come down from the cross now so that we can see it and believe.” Even the men who had been crucified with Jesus insulted him.

33At midday, a darkness came over the whole country, lasting until three in the afternoon. 34And, at three, Jesus called out loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?” which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 35Some of those standing around heard this, and said, “Listen! He is calling for Elijah!” 36And a man ran, and, soaking a sponge in common wine, put it on the end of a rod, and offered it to him to drink, saying as he did so, “Wait and let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down.” 37But Jesus, giving a loud cry, breathed his last. 38The Temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. 39The Roman officer, who was standing facing Jesus, on seeing the way in which he breathed his last, exclaimed, “This man must indeed have been God’s son!”

40There were some women also watching from a distance, among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joseph, and Salome – 41all of whom used to accompany Jesus when he was in Galilee, and give him support – besides many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

42The evening had already fallen, when, as it was the Preparation day – the day before the Sabbath – 43Joseph from Ramah, a councillor of good position, who was himself living in expectation of the kingdom of God, came and ventured to go in to see Pilate, and to ask for the body of Jesus. 44But Pilate was surprised to hear that he had already died. So he sent for the officer, and asked if he were already dead; 45and, on learning from the officer that it was so, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46Joseph, having bought a linen sheet, took Jesus down, and wound the sheet around him, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock; and then rolled a stone up against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary of Magdala and Mary, the mother of Joseph, were watching to see where he was laid.