Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate.
1
Early in the morning the chief priests immediately came to a decision with the leaders and the scribes. The whole Jewish council decided to tie Jesus up, lead him away, and hand him over to Pilate.
2 Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "That's what you say."
2
Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, I am," Jesus answered him.
3 The chief priests were accusing him of many things.
3
The chief priests were accusing him of many things.
4 Pilate asked him again, "Aren't you going to answer? What about all these accusations?"
4
So Pilate asked him again, "Don't you have any answer? Look how many accusations they're bringing against you!"
5 But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.
5
But Jesus no longer answered anything, so Pilate was surprised.
6 During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
6
At every Passover festival, Pilate would free one prisoner whom the people asked for.
7 A man named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an uprising.
7
There was a man named Barabbas in prison. He was with some rebels who had committed murder during a riot.
8 The crowd pushed forward and asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did.
8
The crowd asked Pilate to do for them what he always did.
9 Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"
9
Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to free the king of the Jews for you?"
10 He knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy.
10
Pilate knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.
11
The chief priests stirred up the crowd so that Pilate would free Barabbas for them instead.
12 Pilate replied, "Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?"
12
So Pilate again asked them, "Then what should I do with the king of the Jews?"
13 They shouted back, "Crucify him!"
13
"Crucify him!" they shouted back.
14 Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong has he done?" They shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
14
Pilate said to them, "Why? What has he done wrong?" But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.
15
Pilate wanted to satisfy the people, so he freed Barabbas for them. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the courtyard of the palace known as the governor's headquarters, and they called together the whole company of soldiers.
16
The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace and called together the whole troop.
17 They dressed him up in a purple robe and twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on him.
17
They dressed him in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown, and placed it on his head.
18 They saluted him, "Hey! King of the Jews!"
18
Then they began to greet him, "Long live the king of the Jews!"
19 Again and again, they struck his head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt before him to honor him.
19
They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, and kneeling in front of him with false humility.
20 When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
20
After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
21 Simon, a man from Cyrene, Alexander and Rufus' father, was coming in from the countryside. They forced him to carry his cross.
21
A man named Simon from the city of Cyrene was coming [into Jerusalem] from his home in the country. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. As he was about to pass by, the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross.
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place.
22
They took Jesus to Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull").
23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he didn't take it.
23
They tried to give him wine mixed with a drug called myrrh, but he wouldn't take it.
24 They crucified him. They divided up his clothes, drawing lots for them to determine who would take what.
24
Next they crucified him. Then they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice to see what each one would get.
25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
25
It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
26 The notice of the formal charge against him was written, "The king of the Jews."
26
There was a written notice of the accusation against him. It read, "The king of the Jews."
27 They crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.
27
They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.
29 People walking by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying, "Ha! So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you?
29
Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, "What a joke! You were going to tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.
30 Save yourself and come down from that cross!"
30
Come down from the cross, and save yourself!"
31 In the same way, the chief priests were making fun of him among themselves, together with the legal experts. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself.
31
The chief priests and the scribes made fun of him among themselves in the same way. They said, "He saved others, but he can't save himself.
32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross. Then we'll see and believe." Even those who had been crucified with Jesus insulted him.
32
Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now so that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with him were insulting him.
33 From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark.
33
At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
34 At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, "Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani," which means, "My God, my God, why have you left me?"
34
At three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
35 After hearing him, some standing there said, "Look! He's calling Elijah!"
35
When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, "Listen! He's calling Elijah."
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, "Let's see if Elijah will come to take him down."
36
Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. The man said, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
37 But Jesus let out a loud cry and died.
37
Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died.
38 The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.
38
The curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom.
39 When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "This man was certainly God's Son."
39
When the officer who stood facing Jesus saw how he gave up his spirit, he said, "Certainly, this man was the Son of God!"
40 Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joses, and Salome.
40
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of young James and Joseph), and Salome.
41 When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.
41
They had followed him and supported him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him were there too.
42 Since it was late in the afternoon on Preparation Day, just before the Sabbath,
42
It was Friday evening, before the day of worship,
43 Joseph from Arimathea dared to approach Pilate and ask for Jesus' body. (Joseph was a prominent council member who also eagerly anticipated the coming of God's kingdom.)
43
when Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and was an important member of the Jewish council. He, too, was waiting for the kingdom of God. Joseph boldly went to Pilate's quarters to ask for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate wondered if Jesus was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him whether Jesus had already died.
44
Pilate wondered if Jesus had already died. So he summoned the officer to ask him if Jesus was, in fact, dead.
45 When he learned from the centurion that Jesus was dead, Pilate gave the dead body to Joseph.
45
When the officer had assured him that Jesus was dead, Pilate let Joseph have the corpse.
46 He bought a linen cloth, took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in the cloth, and laid him in a tomb that had been carved out of rock. He rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
46
Joseph had purchased some linen cloth. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in the cloth. Then he laid the body in a tomb, which had been cut out of rock, and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was buried.
47
Mary from Magdala and Mary (the mother of Joses) watched where Jesus was laid.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.