21
They kept shouting out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
22
For the third time, Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong has he done? I've found no legal basis for the death penalty in his case. Therefore, I will have him whipped, then let him go."
23
But they were adamant, shouting their demand that Jesus be crucified. Their voices won out.
24
Pilate issued his decision to grant their request.
25
He released the one they asked for, who had been thrown into prison because of a riot and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.
On the way to the cross
26 As they led Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, a man from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside. They put the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27
A huge crowd of people followed Jesus, including women, who were mourning and wailing for him.
28
Jesus turned to the women and said, "
Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Rather, cry for yourselves and your children.
29
The time will come when they will say, ‘Happy are those who are unable to become pregnant, the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that never nursed a child.'
30
Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,' and to the hills, ‘Cover us.'
31
If they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"