The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 And they all went and took him before Pilate.
1
The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate,
2 And they made statements against him, saying, This man has to our knowledge been teaching our nation to do wrong, and not to make payment of taxes to Caesar, even saying that he himself is Christ, a king.
2
where they began to accuse him: "We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king."
3 And Pilate said to him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he said in answer, You say so.
3
Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "So you say," answered Jesus.
4 And Pilate said to the chief priests and the people, In my opinion this man has done no wrong
4
Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no reason to condemn this man.
5 But they became more violent than before, saying, He has made trouble among the people, teaching through all Judaea from Galilee to this place.
5
But they insisted even more strongly, "With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here."
6 But at these words Pilate said, Is the man a Galilaean?
6
When Pilate heard this, he asked, "Is this man a Galilean?"
7 And when he saw that he was under the authority of Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem himself at that time.
7
When he learned that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus he was very glad, having for a long time had a desire to see him, for he had had accounts of him, and was hoping to see some wonders done by him.
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Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle.
9 And he put a great number of questions to him, but he said nothing.
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So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer.
10 And the chief priests and the scribes were there, making statements against him violently.
10
The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus.
11 And Herod, with the men of his army, put shame on him and made sport of him, and dressing him in shining robes, he sent him back to Pilate.
11
Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
12 And that day Herod and Pilate became friends with one another, for before they had been against one another.
12
On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.
13 And Pilate sent for the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them,
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Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,
14 You say that this man has been teaching the people evil things: now I, after going into the question before you, see nothing wrong in this man in connection with the things which you have said against him
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and said to them, "You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of
15 And Herod is of the same opinion, for he has sent him back to us; for, you see, he has done nothing for which I might put him to death.
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Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death.
16 And so I will give him punishment and let him go.
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So I will have him whipped and let him go."
17 []
18 But with loud voices they said all together, Put this man to death, and make Barabbas free.
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The whole crowd cried out, "Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!
19 Now this man was in prison because of an attack against the government in the town, in which there had been loss of life
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(Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.
20 And Pilate again said to them that it was his desire to let Jesus go free.
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Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again.
21 But crying out they said, To the cross with him
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But they shouted back, "Crucify him! Crucify him!
22 And he said to them a third time, Why, what evil has he done? I see no reason for putting him to death: I will give him punishment and let him go.
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Pilate said to them the third time, "But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free."
23 But they went on crying out loudly, Let him be put to death on the cross. And they had their way.
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But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded.
24 And Pilate gave his decision for their desire to be put into effect.
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So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for.
25 And in answer to their request, he let that man go free who had been in prison for acting against the government and causing death, and Jesus he gave up to their pleasure.
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He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.
26 And while they were taking him away, they put their hands on Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and made him take the cross after Jesus.
26
The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27 And a great band of people went after him, and of women making signs of grief and weeping for him.
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A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, let not your weeping be for me, but for yourselves and for your children.
28
Jesus turned to them and said, "Women of Jerusalem! Don't cry for me, but for yourselves and your children.
29 For the days are coming in which they will say, Happy are those who have had no children, whose bodies have never given birth, whose breasts have never given milk.
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For the days are coming when people will say, "How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!'
30 And they will say to the mountains, Come down on us, and to the hills, Be a cover over us.
30
That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!' and to the hills, "Hide us!'
31 For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dry?
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For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
32 And two others, evil-doers, were taken with him to be put to death.
32
Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus.
33 And when they came to the place which is named Golgotha, they put him on the cross, and the evil-doers, one on the right side, and the other on the left.
33
When they came to the place called "The Skull," they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left.
34 And Jesus said, Father, let them have forgiveness, for they have no knowledge of what they are doing. And they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.
34
Jesus said, "Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing." They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.
35 And the people were looking on. And the rulers made sport of him, saying, He was a saviour of others; let him do something for himself, if he is the Christ, the man of God's selection.
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The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders made fun of him: "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!"
36 And the men of the army made sport of him, coming to him and giving him bitter wine
36
The soldiers also made fun of him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine,
37 And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, get yourself free.
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and said, "Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!"
38 And these words were put in writing over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS
38
Above him were written these words: "This is the King of the Jews.
39 And one of the evil-doers on the cross, with bitter feeling, said to him, Are you not the Christ? Get yourself and us out of this.
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One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
40 But the other, protesting, said, Have you no fear of God? for you have a part in the same punishment,
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The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did.
41 And with reason; for we have the right reward of our acts, but this man has done nothing wrong.
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Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong."
42 And he said, Jesus, keep me in mind when you come in your kingdom.
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And he said to Jesus, "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!"
43 And he said to him, Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise.
43
Jesus said to him, "I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me."
44 And it was now about the sixth hour; and all the land was dark till the ninth hour;
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It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two.
45 The light of the sun went out, and the curtain in the Temple was parted in two.
46 And Jesus gave a loud cry and said, Father, into your hands I give my spirit: and when he had said this, he gave up his spirit.
46
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father! In your hands I place my spirit!" He said this and died.
47 And when the captain saw what was done, he gave praise to God, saying, Without doubt this was an upright man.
47
The army officer saw what had happened, and he praised God, saying, "Certainly he was a good man!"
48 And all the people who had come together to see it, when they saw the things which were done, went back again making signs of grief.
48
When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow.
49 And all his friends and the women who came with him from Galilee, were waiting at a distance, watching these things.
49
All those who knew Jesus personally, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a man of authority and a good and upright man
50
There was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was a good and honorable man, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Although he was a member of the Council, he had not agreed with their decision and action.
51 (He had not given his approval to their decision or their acts), of Arimathaea, a town of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God:
52 This man went to Pilate and made a request for the body of Jesus.
52
He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down, and folding it in a linen cloth, he put it in a place cut in the rock for a dead body; and no one had ever been put in it.
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Then he took the body down, wrapped it in a linen sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock and which had never been used.
54 Now it was the day of making ready and the Sabbath was coming on.
54
It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 And the women who had come with him from Galilee went after him and saw the place and how his body had been put to rest;
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The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went with Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it.
56 And they went back and got ready spices and perfumes; and on the Sabbath they took their rest, in agreement with the law.
56
Then they went back home and prepared the spices and perfumes for the body. On the Sabbath they rested, as the Law commanded.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.