New Living Translation NLT
English Standard Version ESV
1 Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor.
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Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.
2 They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”
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And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. ”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
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And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews? ” And he answered him, “You have said so. ”
4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”
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Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man. ”
5 Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
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But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place. ”
6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked.
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When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
7 When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
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And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.
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When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.
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So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.
10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.
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The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
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And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
12 (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
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And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people,
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Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.
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and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.
15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.
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Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.
16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
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I will therefore punish and release him. ”
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18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”
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But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—
19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)
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a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.
20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus.
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Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,
21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
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but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him! ”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
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A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. ”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed.
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But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.
24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
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So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
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He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
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And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.
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And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
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But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’
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For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! ’
30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’
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Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us, ’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us. ’
31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? ”
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For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry? ”
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him.
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Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
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And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
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And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. ” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
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And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One! ”
36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.
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The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
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and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself! ”
38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
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There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews. ”
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
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One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! ”
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?
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But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
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And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. ”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
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And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
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And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. ”
44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
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It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.
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while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
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Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! ”And having said this he breathed his last.
47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent. ”
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Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent! ”
48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.
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And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
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And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,
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Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,
51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.
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who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
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This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.
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Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.
54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.
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It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.
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The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid.
56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
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Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025