Luke 23 – shortcode

Judas agrees to betray Jesus

1. And having stood, their whole multitude brought Him to Pilate,
2. and they began to accuse Him, saying: “We found this man corrupting our nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and declaring Himself to be the Anointed, a king.
3. And Pilate questioned Him, saying: “Are you the king of the Jews?”  And answering him, He was saying: “You said it.”
4. And Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds: “I find no cause for condemnation in this man.”
5. But they were stubbornly insisting, saying that: “He stirs up the people, teaching through the whole of Judea, having begun from Galilee even to here.
6. And having heard this, Pilate asked if the man is a Galilean.
7. And having learned that He’s from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him up to Herod, Herod himself being in Jerusalem in those days.

Jesus before Herod

8. And having seen Jesus, Herod was exceedingly gladdened, for he was wanting to see Him for a long time because he heard about Him, and was hoping to see a sign performed by Him.
9. And he was questioning Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
10. Yet the chief priests and the scribes had been standing nearby, vehemently accusing Him.
11. And Herod despised Him, and his soldiers with him; and having mocked Him and clothed Him in splendid clothes, he sent Him back to Pilate.
12. And both Herod and Pilate became friends with one another on that day, for they were formerly being hostile^fn“hostile” is more literally “at hostility” with each other.

Jesus before Pilate again

13. And having summoned the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, Pilate
14. said to them: “You brought this man to me as someone inciting the people to rebellion and behold, I myself examined Him in your presence.  I found nothing in this man that’s cause for the accusations you’re bringing against Him.
15. “Moreover, not even Herod did either, for he sent Him back to us.  And behold, nothing worthy of death is *practiced by Him.
16. “Therefore, I will release Him after having chastised Him.”
17. [And he was having a requirement to release one prisoner to them at the feast.]
18. And they all cried out together: “Take this man away and release Barabbas to us!”
19. (A man who was thrown into prison because of an insurrection in the city, and murder.)
20. But Pilate addressed them again, wanting to release Jesus.
21. But they were shouting, saying: “Crucify!  Crucify Him!”
22. And he spoke to them a third time: “For what evil that this man did?  I found no cause for death in Him.  Therefore, I will release Him after having chastised Him.
23. And they were insisting with loud voices, demanding for Him to be crucified.   And their voices were prevailing, [and those of the chief priests].
24. And Pilate sentenced it to happen according to their demand.
25. And he released the man they were asking for, who was *thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, and delivered^fn“delivered” this word could also be translated “betrayed”. Jesus to their will.

The trip to Golgotha

26. And as they led Him away, they seized Simon — a man from Cyrene coming from the country — and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.
27. And a numerous multitude of the people was following Him, and women who were mourning and were lamenting for Him.
28. But having turned toward them, Jesus said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for Me.  But rather, weep for yourselves and for your children.
29. “Because behold, days are coming in which they’ll say: “Blessed are the barren women, and the wombs that didn’t bear, and the breasts that didn’t nurse.”
30. “Then they will begin to say to the mountains: “Fall on us!”, and to the hills: “Hide us!”
31. “Because if they do these things in the green tree, what might happen in the dry tree?” ^fnThis verse appears to be idiomatic in meaning, though there is no consensus on what it means.  Many say that “green” refers to innocence and “dry” to guilt, making the idiomatic meaning: “If they do these things to the innocent, what might happen to the guilty?”  Additionally, if the “they” is the Romans, then given verses 28-30 — which are remarkably similar to prophecies about Jerusalem’s destruction by the Romans elsewhere in the New Testament — this could be a prophecy about God judging Israel during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  Others say that it’s a reference to Ezekiel 20:47, and there are other understandings as well.
32. And two other criminals were also being led away with Him to be put to death.

Jesus is crucified

33. And when they came upon the place called “The Skull”, they crucified Him there, and the criminals with Him; indeed, one on His right and another on His left.
34. And Jesus was saying: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t *know what they’re doing.”  And dividing up His garments, they cast lots for them.^fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 22:18
35. And the people had stood nearby watching.  And even the rulers were deriding Him, saying: “He saved others, let Him save himself if this is the Anointed of God, the Chosen One.
36. And the soldiers also mocked Him, approaching and offering Him sour wine,
37. and saying: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38. And an inscription was over Him [in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew letters]: “This man is the King of the Jews.”
39. And one of the criminals who was hanged was reviling Him, saying: “Don’t you certainly say you’re the Anointed?  Save yourself and us.”
40. But answering and rebuking him, the other criminal was saying: “Don’t you even fear God, knowing that you’re under the same judgement?
41. “And we‘re indeed being judged justly, for we are receiving a punishment appropriate to what we did.  But this man did nothing wrong.”
42. And he was saying: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43. And He told him: “Amen I tell you: today, you’ll be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus’s death

44. And it was already about the sixth hour, and darkness came upon the whole land until the ninth hour.
45. And the Sun’s light ceased,^fn“the Sun’s light ceased” Possibly a description of an eclipse, though it could also have been a purely supernatural event as well. and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
46. And having cried out with a loud voice, Jesus said: “Father, I entrust My spirit into your hands.”  And having said this, He breathed His last.
47. And having seen what happened, the centurion^fn“centurion” was a rank in the Roman military. A normal centurion was in charge of 80 soldiers, plus ~20 support staff. However, there were different levels of centurion.  The highest ranking centurions could be in charge of up to 1000 men. was glorifying God, saying: “This man was certainly righteous.”
48. And having observed the things which happened, all the crowds who assembled together on account of this spectacle were returning to the city, beating their breasts.
49. And all the men who knew Him, and the women (the women following Him from Galilee) had stood watching these things from afar.

Jesus is buried

50. And behold, there was a man named Joseph who was a Sanhedrin^fn The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court of the day. member.  Being a good and righteous man
51. who was waiting for the Kingdom of God, this man wasn’t one who voted with the council and their deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews.
52. Having approached Pilate, this man asked for the body of Jesus.
53. And having taken the body down, he wrapped it in fine linen and put it in a tomb cut into the rock, in which no one was yet laid.
54. And it was the Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning soon.
55. And having followed, the women who were *accompanying Him from Galilee, observed the tomb and how His body was laid.
56. And having returned home, they prepared spices and perfumes.  And they indeed rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.