Luke 23:18-31

English Standard Version

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

^18 (A)But they all cried out together, ^(B)“Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹ a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and ^(C)for murder. ²⁰ Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²² A third time he said to them, “Why? ^(D)What evil has he done? ^(E)I have found in him no guilt deserving death. ^(F)I will therefore punish and release him.” ²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison ^(G)for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, ^(H)but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

^26 (I)And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were ^(J)mourning and lamenting for him. ²⁸ But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For behold, ^(K)the days are coming when they will say, ^(L)‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ^30 (M)Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ ³¹ For ^(N)if they do these things when ^(O)the wood is green, what will happen ^(P)when it is dry?”