Luke 23

And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

1Then the whole group stood up. They took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor.

2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

2They began to blame him. They said, "This man stirs up trouble in our country. He tells people not to pay taxes to Caesar, our ruler. He says he is the Christ, a king."

3And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

3Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "You have said so."

4Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

4Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find nothing wrong with this man."

5And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

5But they said it even harder. "He gets the people all stirred up. He teaches all over Judea. He started in Galilee and came here."

6When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.

6When Pilate heard the word Galilee, he asked if the man was from there.

7And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

7He learned that Jesus came from the part Herod ruled. So he sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem just then.

8And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

8Herod was very glad to see Jesus. He had wanted to see him for a long time. He had heard many stories about him. He hoped to watch him do a miracle.

9Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

9Herod asked him many questions. But Jesus did not answer him at all.

10And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

10The chief priests and the scribes stood there. They kept blaming him in angry voices.

11And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

11Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus like he was nothing. They made fun of him. They put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

12And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

12That same day Pilate and Herod became friends. Before this they had been enemies.

13And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

13Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people.

14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

14He said to them, "You brought me this man. You said he was stirring up the people. I asked him questions in front of you. I did not find him guilty of what you say.

15No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.

15Herod did not find him guilty either. He sent him back to us. This man has done nothing that he should die for.

16I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

16So I will have him whipped. Then I will let him go."

17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)

17(At the feast each year, Pilate had to set one prisoner free.)

ManuscriptsMost modern translations leave this verse out. It is in the Greek text the King James translators worked from, but not in the older manuscripts found since, so scholars generally take it as a copyist’s addition rather than part of the original.

18And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:

18But they all shouted together, "Take this man away! Set Barabbas free for us!"

19(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)

19(Barabbas was in prison for starting a fight against the rulers, and for killing someone.)

20Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.

20Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he spoke to them again.

21But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

21But they shouted, "Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!"

22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

22He said to them a third time, "Why? What wrong has he done? I have found no reason to put him to death. So I will have him whipped and let him go."

23And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

23But they kept shouting louder and louder. They demanded that Jesus be nailed to a cross. Their loud shouting won.

24And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

24So Pilate decided to do what they asked.

25And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

25He set free the man they wanted. That man was in prison for fighting the rulers and for killing. And he handed Jesus over to them.

26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

26As the soldiers led Jesus away, they grabbed a man named Simon. He was from Cyrene and was coming in from the fields. They put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

27A big crowd followed Jesus. Some were women who cried and cried for him.

28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

28But Jesus turned to them and said, "Women of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.

29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

29Look, days are coming when people will say this: 'Happy are the women who never had a baby.'

30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

30Then people will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' And to the hills, 'Cover us!'

31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

31If people do this when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

32Two other men were led out with him. They were criminals, and they were going to be put to death too.

33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

33They came to the place called the Skull. There they nailed Jesus to a cross. They did the same to the two criminals, one on each side of him.

34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

34Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing." The soldiers threw lots to split up his clothes.

NoteThrowing lots was like rolling dice. People used it to decide who got what.

35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

35The people stood and watched. The leaders made fun of him. They said, "He saved other people. Let him save himself, if he is God's chosen one, the Christ."

36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

36The soldiers made fun of him too. They came up and held out sour wine to him.

Note"Vinegar" here means cheap, sour wine. It was what soldiers drank.

37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

37They said, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38A sign was put up above him. It said, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

39One of the criminals hanging there said mean things to him. He said, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

40But the other man told him to stop. He said, "Don't you even fear God? You are being punished the same way.

41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

41We are getting what we deserve. We did wrong things. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

43Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in paradise."

44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

44It was about noon. The whole land went dark until three in the afternoon.

NoteThe Bible counts hours from sunrise. So the "sixth hour" is about noon, and the "ninth hour" is about three in the afternoon.

45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

45The sun went dark. The big curtain in the temple tore right down the middle.

46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

46Then Jesus called out in a loud voice. He said, "Father, I put my spirit in your hands." When he had said this, he died.

47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

47A Roman officer saw what happened. He praised God and said, "This man really was good and right."

48And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

48All the people who came to watch saw what happened. They beat their chests in sadness and went home.

49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

49All the people who knew Jesus stood far off. The women who came with him from Galilee stood there too. They watched all of it.

50And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

50There was a man named Joseph. He was a member of the ruling council. He was a good man who did what was right.

51(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

51He had not agreed with what the others planned and did. He came from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

53And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

53He took the body down and wrapped it in linen cloth. He laid it in a tomb cut out of rock. No one had ever been laid there before.

54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

54It was the day for getting ready. The rest day, called the Sabbath, was about to begin.

55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

55The women who came with Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

56Then they went home and got sweet-smelling spices and oils ready. They rested on the Sabbath, just as God's law said.