Mark 15
1 Very early in the morning the chief priests met together with [the rest of] the Jewish council, [in order to decide how to accuse Jesus before the Roman governor. Their guards] tied Jesus’ hands [again]. They took him to [the house of] Pilate, [the governor, and they started to accuse him, saying] “[Jesus is claiming that he is a king!]!”
Early the next morning, the chief priest, elders, and religious teachers—the whole governing council—came to a decision. They had Jesus bound and sent him to be handed over to Pilate.
2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Do you [claim to be] the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “You yourself have said so.”
Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “You said it,” Jesus replied.
3 Then the chief priests claimed that Jesus had done many bad things.
The chief priests kept on making many accusations against him.
4 So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Listen to how many bad things they are saying that you [have done]!”
Pilate questioned him again, “Aren't you going to answer? See how many charges they're bringing against you!”
5 But [even though Jesus was not guilty], he did not say anything more. The result was that Pilate was very much surprised.
But Jesus didn't give any more answers, much to Pilate's surprise.
6 It was the governor’s custom [each year] during the [Passover] celebration to release [one person who was in prison. He customarily released] whichever prisoner the people requested.
Now it was Pilate's custom at the Passover feast to release a prisoner to the people, whoever they requested.
7 [At that time] there was a man called Barabbas who had been {whom [the soldiers had]} [put in prison with some other men]. Those men had murdered [some soldiers] when they rebelled [against the Roman government].
One of the prisoners was a man called Barabbas who belonged to a group of rebels who had committed murder during an uprising.
8 A crowd approached [Pilate] and asked him [to release someone], just like he customarily did for them [during the Passover celebration].
The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner following his usual custom.
9 Pilate answered them, “Would you like me to release for you the [man whom you] Jewish [people say is your] king?”
“Do you want me to release to you the King of Jews?” he asked them,
10 [He asked this] because he realized what the chief priests were wanting to do. They were accusing Jesus because they were jealous of him [because many people were becoming his disciples].
for he realized that it was because of their jealousy of Jesus that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
11 But the chief priests urged the crowd [to request] that Pilate release Barabbas for them instead [of Jesus].
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.
12 Pilate said to them again, “[If I release Barabbas], what do you want me to do with the man whom [some of] you Jews say is [your] king?”
“Then what should I do with the one you call the King of the Jews?” he asked them.
13 Then they shouted again, “[Command that your soldiers] crucify him!”
“Crucify him!” they shouted back.
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, “[Command your soldiers to] crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted back even louder.
15 So, because Pilate wanted to please the crowd, he released Barabbas for them. Then, after [his soldiers] had whipped Jesus with leather straps into which they had fastened metal pieces, [Pilate told the soldiers to take him away] in order that he would be crucified {they would crucify him}.
Wanting to please the mob, Pilate released Barabbas to them. First he had Jesus flogged and then handed him over to be crucified.
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the [courtyard of the] palace [where Pilate lived]. That place was the government headquarters. Then they summoned the whole (cohort/group of soldiers) [who were on duty there].
The soldiers took him away into the Praetorium courtyard, where they called out the whole cohort.
17 [After the soldiers gathered together], they put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they placed on his head a crown that they made from [branches of] thornbushes. [They did those things in order to ridicule him by pretending that he was a king].
They put royal purple robes on him and made a crown of thorns that they placed on him.
18 Then they greeted him [like they would greet a king, in order to ridicule him], saying, “Hooray for the King [who rules] the Jews!”
Then they saluted him, saying, “Hail King of the Jews!”
19 They repeatedly struck his head with a reed and spat on him. By kneeling down, they [pretended to honor] him.
They repeatedly beat him around the head with a rod, spat at him, and fell on their knees before him as if in worship.
20 When they had finished ridiculing him, they pulled off the purple robe. They put his own clothes on him, and then they led him outside [of the city] in order to nail him to a cross.
After they finished mocking him, they took off the purple robes, and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to be crucified.
21 [After Jesus carried his cross a short distance], a man named Simon from Cyrene [city came along]. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. He was passing by while he was returning [home] from outside [the city. The soldiers] compelled Simon to carry the cross [for Jesus].
They forced a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the countryside, to carry his cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.
22 They brought them both to a place that they [call] Golgotha. That name means, ‘a place [like] a skull’.
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means “the Place of the Skull.”
23 Then they tried to give Jesus wine that was {that they} mixed with [medicine called] myrrh. [They wanted him to drink it so that he would not feel so much pain when they crucified him]. But he did not drink it.
They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it.
24 [Some] of the [soldiers took his clothes]. Then they nailed him to a cross. Afterwards, they divided his clothes among themselves by gambling with [something like] dice. They did this [in order to determine] which [piece of clothing] each one would get.
Then they crucified him. They divided his clothes, and threw dice to decide who would have what.
25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
26 They [attached to the cross above Jesus’ head] a sign on which it had been written {someone had written} the reason why [they were nailing him to the cross]. [But all] that it said was, “The King of the Jews.”
A sign with the written charge against him read: “The King of the Jews.”
27 They also nailed to crosses two men who were bandits. They nailed one to a cross at the right side [of Jesus] and one to a cross at the left side [of Jesus].
They crucified two criminals with him, one on his left and one on his right.
29 The people who were passing by insulted him by shaking their heads as [if here were an evil man]. They said, “Aha! You said that you would destroy the Temple and then you would build it again within three days.
People passing by shouted insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying. “Aha! You who claimed you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days;
30 [If you could do that, then] rescue yourself by coming down from the cross!”
save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The chief priests, along with the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, also [wanted to] make fun of Jesus. So they said to each other, “He [claims to have] saved others [from their sicknesses] [IRO] but he cannot save himself!
Likewise the chief priests and the religious teachers made fun of him, saying to each other, “He saved others, but he can't save himself.
32 He said, ‘I am the Messiah, I am the King who [rules the people of] Israel.’ [If his words are true], he should come down now from the cross! Then we will believe [him]!” The [two] men who were crucified beside him also insulted him.
If he really is the Messiah, the King of Israel, then why doesn't he come down from the cross so we can see and believe!” Even those who were crucified with him insulted him.
33 At noon the whole land became dark, [and it stayed dark] until three o’clock in the afternoon.
At noon darkness fell over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
34 At three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” That means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
At three o'clock Jesus cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35 When some of the people who were standing there heard [the word ‘Eloi’, misunderstanding it], they said, “Listen! He is calling for [the prophet] Elijah!”
Some of those standing there heard this, and said, “He's calling for Elijah.”
36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He placed it on [the tip of] a reed, and then he [held it] up for [Jesus] to suck out [the wine that was in] it. [While he was doing that, someone] said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah will come to take him down [from the cross]!”
One man ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and tried to give it to Jesus to drink. “Leave him alone,” he said. “Let's see if Elijah will come to take him down.”
37 And then, after Jesus shouted loudly, he stopped breathing [and died].
Then Jesus groaned loudly, and died.
38 [At that moment] the [heavy thick] curtain that closed off [the most holy place in] the Temple split into two pieces from top to bottom. [That showed that ordinary people could now go into the presence of God].
The Temple veil was ripped in two from top to bottom.
39 The officer who supervised the soldiers [who nailed Jesus to the cross] was standing in front of Jesus. When he saw how Jesus died, he exclaimed, “Truly, this man was the man who was also God!”
When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how he died, he said, “This man was truly the Son of God.”
40 There were also some women there, watching these events from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus when he was in Galilee [district], and they had provided what he needed. They had come with him to Jerusalem. Among those women was Mary from Magdala [town]. There was [another] Mary, who was the mother of the younger James and of Joses. There was also Salome.
Some women were watching from a distance including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome.
They had followed Jesus and had taken care of him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.
42 When evening was near, [a man named] Joseph from Arimathea [town came there]. He was a member of the [Jewish] council, one whom everyone respected. He was also one of those who had been waiting expectantly for the [time when] God [would send] his king to begin to rule. [He knew that, according to Jewish law, people’s bodies had to be buried] {[someone had to bury people’s bodies]} [on the day they died. He also realized that] it was the day when [people] prepared [things for] ([the Jewish day of rest/the Sabbath]), [and that the Sabbath would start when the sun set]. So he became courageous and went to Pilate and asked Pilate [to permit him to take] the body of Jesus [down from the cross and bury it immediately].
It was Friday, the day before the Sabbath. When evening came,
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the governing council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, had the courage to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body.
44 Pilate was surprised [when he heard that] Jesus was already dead. So he summoned the officer who was in charge of the soldiers [who crucified Jesus], and he asked him if [Jesus] had already died.
Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so soon, so he summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died.
45 When the officer told [Pilate that Jesus was dead], Pilate allowed Joseph [to take away] the body.
Once he had confirmation from the centurion, Pilate gave permission for Joseph to take the body.
46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth, he [and others] took [Jesus’ body down from the cross]. They wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb that [previously] had been dug out of the rock [cliff]. Then they rolled a [huge flat] stone in front of the entrance to the tomb.
Joseph bought a linen sheet. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross and wrapped it in the sheet, and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of rock. Then he rolled a heavy stone up against the entrance.
47 Mary [from] Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where Jesus’ [body] was placed {where they placed Jesus’ [body]}.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.
