New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.
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Then they all took Jesus to Pilate
2 They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king."
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and began to bring up charges against him. They said, "We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King."
3 Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so."
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Pilate asked him, "Is this true that you're 'King of the Jews'?" "Those are your words, not mine," Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man.
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Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, "I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me.
5 But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."
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But they were vehement. "He's stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He's a dangerous man, endangering the peace."
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
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When Pilate heard that, he asked, "So, he's a Galilean?"
7 And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
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Realizing that he properly came under Herod's jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign.
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Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he'd heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular.
9 He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer.
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He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn't answer - not one word.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
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But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.
11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate.
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Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate.
12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.
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That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,
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Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others
14 and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him
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and said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge
15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death.
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And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death.
16 I will therefore have him flogged and release him."
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I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
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18 Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!"
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At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!"
19 (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.
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(Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.
20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again;
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Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.
21 but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!
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But they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him!
22 A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him."
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He tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.
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But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down.
24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.
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Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted.
25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
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He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
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As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus.
27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
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A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on.
28 But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
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At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.
29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, "Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
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The time is coming when they'll say, 'Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!'
30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, "Fall on us'; and to the hills, "Cover us.'
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Then they'll start calling to the mountains, 'Fall down on us!' calling to the hills, 'Cover us up!'
31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
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If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they'll do with deadwood?"
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
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Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
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When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.
34 [Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."] And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
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Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."
35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!"
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The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, "He saved others. Let's see him save himself! The Messiah of God - ha! The Chosen - ha!"
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
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The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine
37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
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"So you're King of the Jews! Save yourself!"
38 There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews.
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Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
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One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!"
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
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But the other one made him shut up: "Have you no fear of God? You're getting the same as him.
41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."
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We deserve this, but not him - he did nothing to deserve this."
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
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Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom."
43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
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He said, "Don't worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,
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By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours -
45 while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
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a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle.
46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last.
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Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent."
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When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!"
48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.
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All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home.
49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
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Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council,
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There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character.
51 had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.
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He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea.
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
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He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid.
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Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used.
54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.
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It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.
55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.
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The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was placed.
56 Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
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Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.