Mark 15:25-35

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!
32 Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We'll all become believers then!" Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33 At noon the sky became extremely dark.
34 The darkness lasted three hours. At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
35 Some of the bystanders who heard him said, "Listen, he's calling for Elijah."
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.