Chapter 23
1 And rising, the entire multitude of them led Him to
Pilate.
2 Now they begin to accuse Him, saying, "This man we
found perverting our nation and forbidding to be giving taxes to Caesar, and saying
himself to be Christ, a king."
3 Now Pilate inquired of Him, saying, "You are the
king of the Jews?" Now He, answering him averred, "You are saying so!"
4 Now Pilate said to the chief priests and the throngs,
"Not one fault am I finding in this man."
5 Yet they were insistent, saying that 'He is exciting
the people, teaching down the whole of Judea, beginning even from Galilee as far as
here."
6 Now Pilate, hearing "Galilee," inquires if
the man is a Galilean.
7 And realizing that He is out of the jurisdiction of
Herod, he sends Him up to Herod, he also being in Jerusalem in these days.
8 Now Herod, perceiving Jesus, was overjoyed, for he was
for a considerable time wanting to become acquainted with Him, because of hearing much
concerning Him. And he expected to be perceiving some sign occurring by Him.
9 Now he inquired of Him with ample words, yet He answers
him nothing.
10 Now the chief priests and the scribes stood
strenuously accusing Him.
11 Now, scorning Him and scoffing at Him, Herod, together
with his troops, clothing Him in splendid attire, sends Him back to Pilate.
12 Now both Herod and Pilate became friends with one
another on that same day, for before this they were inherently at enmity between
themselves.
13 Now Pilate, calling together the chief priests and the
chiefs and the people,
14 said to them, "You bring to me this man as one
who is turning away the people, and lo! I, examining him in your sight, found in this man
not one fault of which you are accusing him.
15 Nay, neither Herod, for he sends him back to us, and
lo! nothing deserving of death is committed by him.
16 Disciplining him then, I will release him."
17 Now of necessity he had to release one for them at the
festival.
18 Yet they cried out, all as one multitude, saying,
"Away with this one! Yet release for us Bar-Abbas"-
19 who was, because of a certain insurrection occurring
in the city, and a murder, cast into jail.
20 Now again Pilate shouts to them, willing to release
Jesus.
21 Yet they retorted, saying, "Crucify, crucify
him!"
22 Now for the third time he said to them, "What
evil does this man? Not one cause of death did I find in him. Disciplining him then, I
will release him."
23 Yet they importuned with loud voices, requesting that
He be crucified. And their voices and the chief priests' prevailed.
24 Now Pilate adjudges that it occur as they request.
25 Now he releases him who because of insurrection and
murder had been cast into jail, whom they request. Yet Jesus he gives up to their will.
26 And as they led Him away, getting hold of a certain
Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, they place the cross on him to carry behind
Jesus.
27 Now there followed Him a vast multitude of the people
and of women who grieved and wailed over Him.
28 Now being turned toward them, Jesus said,
"Daughters of Jerusalem! Do not lament over Me! However, over yourselves lament, and
over your children,
29 for lo! coming are days in which they will be
declaring, 'Happy are the barren, and the wombs which bear not, and the breasts which do
not nourish!'
30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall
on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'
31 For if they are doing these things in the wet wood,
what may be occurring in the withered?"
32 Now two others also, malefactors, were led to be
despatched together with Him.
33 And when they came away to the place called
"Skull," there they crucify Him, and the malefactors, one, indeed, at the right,
yet the other at the left.
34 Now Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they
are not aware what they are doing." Now dividing His garments, they cast the lot.
35 And the people had stood, beholding. Now the chiefs
also with them scouted, saying, "Others he saves! Let him save himself, if this is
the Christ of God, the Chosen One!"
36 Yet the soldiers also scoff at Him, approaching,
bringing to Him vinegar,
37 and saying, "If you are the king of the Jews,
save yourself!"
38 Now there was an inscription also, inscribed over Him,
in letters of Greek and Roman and Hebrew, "The King of the Jews is this."
39 Now one of the hanged malefactors blasphemed Him,
saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40 Yet answering, the other one, rebuking him, averred,
"Yet you are not fearing God, seeing that you are in the same judgment!
41 And we, indeed, justly, for we are getting back the
deserts of what we commit, yet this One commits nothing amiss."
42 And he said to Jesus, "Be reminded of me, Lord,
whenever Thou mayest be coming in Thy kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Verily, to you am I
saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise."
44 And it was already about the sixth hour, and darkness
came over the whole land till the ninth hour,
45 at the defaulting of the sun. Now rent is the curtain
of the temple in the middle.
46 And shouting with a loud voice, Jesus said,
"Father, into Thy hands am I committing My spirit." Now, saying this, He
expires.
47 Now the centurion, perceiving what is occurring,
glorified God, saying that, "Really, this Man was just!"
48 And all the throngs which came along together to
behold this, beholding the occurrences, beating their chests, returned.
49 Now all those known to Him, and the women who follow
with Him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.
50 And lo! a man named Joseph, belonging to the
counselors, and a good man and just
51 (he has not concurred in their counsel and what they
had committed), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, and who also himself anticipated the
kingdom of God-
52 this man, approaching Pilate, requests the body of
Jesus.
53 And, taking it down, he folds it up in a linen
wrapper, and he places Him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one was lying as yet.
54 And it was the day of preparation, and a sabbath
lighted up.
55 Now following after, the women who were come together
out of Galilee with Him, gaze at the tomb, and how His body was placed.
56 Now, returning, they make ready spices and attars. And
on the sabbath, indeed, they are quiet, according to the precept. |