Mark 15:21-31

21 There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross.
22 The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill."
23 They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it.
24 And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25 They nailed him up at nine o'clock in the morning.
26 The charge against him - the king of the jews - was printed on a poster.
27 Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left.
29 People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days -
30 so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
31 The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others - but he can't save himself!
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.