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A third time Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and set him free."
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But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be crucified. Their yelling became so loud that
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Pilate decided to give them what they wanted.
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He set free the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, and he handed Jesus over to them to do with him as they wished.
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As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the fields. They forced him to carry Jesus' cross and to walk behind him.
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A large crowd of people was following Jesus, including some women who were sad and crying for him.
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But Jesus turned and said to them, "Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.
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The time is coming when people will say, 'Happy are the women who cannot have children and who have no babies to nurse.'
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Then people will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' And they will say to the hills, 'Cover us!'
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If they act like this now when life is good, what will happen when bad times come?"
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There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death.
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When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals -- one on his right and the other on his left.
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Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing." The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes.
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The people stood there watching. And the leaders made fun of Jesus, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God's Chosen One, the Christ."
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The soldiers also made fun of him, coming to Jesus and offering him some vinegar
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They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!"
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At the top of the cross these words were written: this is the king of the jews
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One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: "Aren't you the Christ? Then save yourself and us."
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But the other criminal stopped him and said, "You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.
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We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong."
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Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
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Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
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It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o'clock in the afternoon,