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The passion of Christ. Of his death and burial.

15 And early in the dawning, the high priests consulted with the elders and the scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and led him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

And Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, It is as you say. And the high priests accused him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, saying, Do you answer nothing? Look how many things they lay to your charge. But Jesus still answered never a word, so that Pilate marvelled.

At that feast it was Pilate’s custom to release to the people, at their pleasure, a prisoner – whomever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with those who had made insurrection, and in the insurrection had committed murder. And the people called to Pilate and began to ask that he do as usual for them. Pilate answered them and said, Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the high priests had delivered him out of envy. 11 But the high priests had moved the people to have Barabbas released to them instead.

12 And Pilate answered again and said to them, What will you have me do then with him whom you call the king of the Jews? 13 And they cried again, Crucify him! 14 Pilate said to them, What evil has he done? And they cried the more fervently, Crucify him!

15 And so Pilate, choosing to appease the people, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus, when had scourged him, to be crucified.

16 And the soldiers led him away into the common hall, and called together the whole company. 17 And they clothed him with purple, and they plaited a crown of thorns and crowned him with it, 18 and began to pay mock homage to him: Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they struck him on the head with a reed, and spat upon him, and kneeled down and worshipped him.

20 And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. 21 And they compelled a man who was passing by, called Simon of Cyrene (who was coming out of the field, and was the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear his cross. 22 And they brought him to a place named Golgotha (which translated is, the place of dead men’s skulls). 23 And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but he would not receive it.

24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots for them, what every man should have. 25 And it was about the third hour, and they crucified him. 26 And the notice of his accusation was written: the king of the jews. 27 And they crucified with him two thieves, one on the right hand and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among the wicked.

29 And people who were going by railed on him, wagging their heads and saying, Ah, wretch, who destroys the temple and builds it in three days! 30 Save yourself, and come down from the cross!

31 Likewise also the high priests mocked him among themselves with the scribes, and said, He saved other men; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ the King of Israel now descend from the cross, so that we may see and believe.

And those who were crucified with him reviled him also.

33 And when the sixth hour was come, darkness arose over all the earth until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, if it be translated, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

35 And some of the people who were standing by, when they heard that, said, Look, he is calling for Elijah. 36 And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed and gave him to drink, saying, Let him alone. Let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down.

37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and gave up the spirit. 38 And the veil of the temple did tear in two pieces, from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the centurion who stood before Jesus saw that he so cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

40 There were also women a good way off beholding him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joses, and Mary Salome, 41 who also, when he was in Galilee, had followed him and ministered to him, and many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

42 And now when night was come (because it was the Preparation, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a noble councillor, who also looked for the kingdom of God. He went in bravely to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. 44 And Pilate marvelled that he was already dead, and called for the centurion, and asked him if Jesus was already dead. 45 And when he knew the truth from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

46 And Joseph bought a linen cloth, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone to the opening of the sepulchre. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary Joses saw where he was laid.

Jesus Before Pilate(A)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law(B) and the whole Sanhedrin,(C) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.(D)

“Are you the king of the Jews?”(E) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply,(F) and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”(G) asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas(H) instead.

12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.

14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,(I) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus(J)

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace(K) (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(L) 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out(M) to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus(N)

21 A certain man from Cyrene,(O) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,(P) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.(Q) 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,(R) but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots(S) to see what each would get.

25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.(T)

27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [a] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads(U) and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,(V) 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him(W) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah,(X) this king of Israel,(Y) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus(Z)

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.(AA) 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b](AB)

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar,(AC) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.(AD)

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.(AE) 39 And when the centurion,(AF) who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”(AG)

40 Some women were watching from a distance.(AH) Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[d] and Salome.(AI) 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.(AJ)

The Burial of Jesus(AK)

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath).(AL) So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council,(AM) who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,(AN) went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion(AO) that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.(AP) 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph(AQ) saw where he was laid.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 15:28 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Luke 22:37.
  2. Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
  3. Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry
  4. Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47