Luke 23:1-56 GNT

[1] The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, [2] where they began to accuse him: "We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king." [3] Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "So you say," answered Jesus. [4] Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no reason to condemn this man." [5] But they insisted even more strongly, "With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here." [6] When Pilate heard this, he asked, "Is this man a Galilean?" [7] When he learned that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. [8] Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. [9] So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. [10] The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. [11] Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. [12] On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies. [13] Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, [14] and said to them, "You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. [15] Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. [16] So I will have him whipped and let him go." [17] [18] The whole crowd cried out, "Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!" [19] ( Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) [20] Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. [21] But they shouted back, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" [22] Pilate said to them the third time, "But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free." [23] But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. [24] So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. [25] He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished. [26] The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. [27] A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. [28] Jesus turned to them and said, "Women of Jerusalem! Don't cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. [29] For the days are coming when people will say, 'How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!' [30] That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Hide us!' [31] For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" [32] Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. [33] When they came to the place called "The Skull," they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. [34] Jesus said, "Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing." They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. [35] The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders made fun of him: "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!" [36] The soldiers also made fun of him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, [37] and said, "Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!" [38] Above him were written these words: "This is the King of the Jews." [39] One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" [40] The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. [41] Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong." [42] And he said to Jesus, "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!" [43] Jesus said to him, "I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me." [44] It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. [46] Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father! In your hands I place my spirit!" He said this and died. [47] The army officer saw what had happened, and he praised God, saying, "Certainly he was a good man!" [48] When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow. [49] All those who knew Jesus personally, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch. [50] There was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was a good and honorable man, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Although he was a member of the Council, he had not agreed with their decision and action. [52] He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. [53] Then he took the body down, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock and which had never been used. [54] It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin. [55] The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went with Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it. [56] Then they went back home and prepared the spices and perfumes for the body. On the Sabbath they rested, as the Law commanded.