Luke 23
New King James Version
Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate(A)
23 Then (B)the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to (C)Pilate. 2 And they began to (D)accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow (E)perverting [a]the nation, and (F)forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying (G)that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 (H)Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, (I)“I find no fault in this Man.”
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from (J)Galilee to this place.”
Jesus Faces Herod
6 When Pilate heard [b]of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to (K)Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, (L)he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because (M)he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him (N)nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 (O)Then Herod, with his [c]men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day (P)Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
Taking the Place of Barabbas(Q)
13 (R)Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, (S)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, (T)having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for [d]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 (U)I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” 17 (V)(for[e] it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And (W)they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men [f]and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So (X)Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 (Y)And he released [g]to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
The King on a Cross(Z)
26 (AA)Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 (AB)For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin (AC)‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ 31 (AD)For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”
32 (AE)There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And (AF)when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 [h]Then Jesus said, “Father, (AG)forgive them, for (AH)they do not know what they do.”
And (AI)they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And (AJ)the people stood looking on. But even the (AK)rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”
36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him (AL)sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 (AM)And an inscription also was [i]written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 (AN)Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, [j]“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done (AO)nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said [k]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in (AP)Paradise.”
Jesus Dies on the Cross(AQ)
44 (AR)Now it [l]was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was [m]darkened, and (AS)the veil of the temple was torn in [n]two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, (AT)‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” (AU)Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 (AV)So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 49 (AW)But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb(AX)
50 (AY)Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, (AZ)who[o] himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 (BA)Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was (BB)the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women (BC)who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and (BD)they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and (BE)prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath (BF)according to the commandment.
Footnotes
- Luke 23:2 NU our
- Luke 23:6 NU omits of Galilee
- Luke 23:11 troops
- Luke 23:15 NU he sent Him back to us
- Luke 23:17 NU omits v. 17.
- Luke 23:23 NU omits and of the chief priests
- Luke 23:25 NU, M omit to them
- Luke 23:34 NU brackets the first sentence as a later addition.
- Luke 23:38 NU omits written and in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew
- Luke 23:39 NU Are You not the Christ? Save
- Luke 23:42 NU “Jesus, remember me
- Luke 23:44 NU adds already
- Luke 23:45 NU obscured
- Luke 23:45 the middle
- Luke 23:51 NU who was waiting
Luke 23
New American Standard Bible 1995
Jesus before Pilate
23 Then the whole body of them got up and (A)brought Him before Pilate. 2 (B)And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man (C)misleading our nation and (D)forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is [a]Christ, a King.” 3 So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “(E)It is as you say.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “(F)I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, (G)starting from Galilee even as far as this place.”
6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to (H)Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem [b]at that time.
Jesus before Herod
8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for (I)he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some [c]sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him [d]at some length; but (J)He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. 11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, (K)dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 Now (L)Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.
Pilate Seeks Jesus’ Release
13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the (M)rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who (N)incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I (O)have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. 15 No, nor has (P)Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. 16 Therefore I will (Q)punish Him and release Him.” 17 [[e]Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “(R)Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will (S)punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Simon Bears the Cross
26 (T)When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of (U)Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were [f](V)mourning and lamenting Him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘(W)Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to (X)say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things [g]when the tree is green, what will happen [h]when it is dry?”
32 (Y)Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.
The Crucifixion
33 (Z)When they came to the place called [i]The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 [j]But Jesus was saying, “(AA)Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (AB)And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the (AC)rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; (AD)let Him save Himself if this is the [k]Christ of God, His Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, (AE)offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “(AF)If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, “(AG)THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 (AH)One of the criminals who were hanged there was [l]hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the [m]Christ? (AI)Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [n]what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come [o]in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in (AJ)Paradise.”
44 (AK)It was now about [p](AL)the sixth hour, and darkness [q]fell over the whole land until [r]the ninth hour, 45 [s]because the sun was obscured; and (AM)the veil of the temple was torn [t]in two. 46 And Jesus, (AN)crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, (AO)into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 (AP)Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began (AQ)praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was [u]innocent.” 48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, [v](AR)beating their breasts. 49 (AS)And all His acquaintances and (AT)the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.
Jesus Is Buried
50 (AU)And a man named Joseph, who was a (AV)member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was (AW)waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 It was (AX)the [w]preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to [x]begin. 55 Now (AY)the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and (AZ)prepared spices and perfumes.
And (BA)on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Footnotes
- Luke 23:2 I.e. Messiah
- Luke 23:7 Lit in these days
- Luke 23:8 Or attesting miracle
- Luke 23:9 Lit in many words
- Luke 23:17 Early mss do not contain this v
- Luke 23:27 Lit beating the breast
- Luke 23:31 Lit in the green tree
- Luke 23:31 Lit in the dry
- Luke 23:33 In Lat Calvarius; or Calvary
- Luke 23:34 Some early mss do not contain But Jesus was saying...doing
- Luke 23:35 I.e. Messiah
- Luke 23:39 Or blaspheming
- Luke 23:39 I.e. Messiah
- Luke 23:41 Lit things worthy of what we have done
- Luke 23:42 Or into
- Luke 23:44 I.e. noon
- Luke 23:44 Or occurred
- Luke 23:44 I.e. 3 p.m.
- Luke 23:45 Lit the sun failing
- Luke 23:45 Lit in the middle
- Luke 23:47 Lit righteous
- Luke 23:48 I.e. as a traditional sign of mourning or contrition
- Luke 23:54 I.e. preparation for the Sabbath
- Luke 23:54 Lit dawn
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
