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!]!”
And immediately in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Do you [claim to be] the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “You yourself have said so.”
And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, Thou sayest it.
3 Then the chief priests claimed that Jesus had done many bad things.
And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
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]!”
And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they testify against thee.
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 yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
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 at that feast he released to them one prisoner, whom they desired.
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].
And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 A crowd approached [Pilate] and asked him [to release someone], just like he customarily did for them [during the Passover celebration].
And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done to them.
9 Pilate answered them, “Would you like me to release for you the [man whom you] Jewish [people say is your] king?”
But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews?
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 knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
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 people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
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?”
And Pilate answered and said again to them, What will ye then that I shall do to him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 Then they shouted again, “[Command that your soldiers] crucify him!”
And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, “[Command your soldiers to] crucify him!”
Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
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}.
And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas to them, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him 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].
And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
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].
And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
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!”
And began to greet him, 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.
And they struck him on the head with a reed, and spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
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.
And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
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].
And they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian, who was passing by, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
22 They brought them both to a place that they [call] Golgotha. That name means, ‘a place [like] a skull’.
And they bring him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a 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.
And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
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.
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
And it was the third hour, and 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.”
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, 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].
And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
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.
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 [If you could do that, then] rescue yourself by coming down from the cross!”
Save thyself, 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 also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
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.
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 At noon the whole land became dark, [and it stayed dark] until three o’clock in the afternoon.
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 At three o’clock Jesus shouted loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” That means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 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!”
And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth 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]!”
And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let him alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
37 And then, after Jesus shouted loudly, he stopped breathing [and died].
And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
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].
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the 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!”
And when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was 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.
There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
( Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; ) and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
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].
And now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
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.
And Pilate wondered if he was already dead: and calling the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 When the officer told [Pilate that Jesus was dead], Pilate allowed Joseph [to take away] the body.
And when he knew it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
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.
And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.
47 Mary [from] Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where Jesus’ [body] was placed {where they placed Jesus’ [body]}.
And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
