Jesus Is Crucified^(A)

²⁶ As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene [^Ca port city in North Africa (modern Libya)], was coming in from the ·fields [countryside; country; ^CSimon may be a Jewish pilgrim visiting Jerusalem for Passover or an immigrant living there]. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and to walk behind him.

²⁷ A large crowd of people was following Jesus, including some women who were ·sad [mourning] and ·crying [wailing; lamenting] for him. ²⁸ But Jesus turned and said to them, “·Women [^LDaughters] of Jerusalem, don’t ·cry [weep] for me. ·Cry [Weep] for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ [^LFor look/^Tbehold] The ·time is [days are] coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are ·the women who cannot have children [^Lthe barren women and the wombs that never gave birth] and ·who have no babies to nurse [^Lthe breasts that have never nursed].’ ³⁰ Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And they will say to the hills, ‘·Cover [Bury] us [Hos. 10:8]!’ ³¹ If they act like this now when ·life is good [^Lthe tree is green], what will happen when ·bad times come [^Lit is dry; ^Cprobably an allusion to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70]?”

³² There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be ·put to death [executed]. ³³ When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.”^[a]

The soldiers threw lots [^Csimilar to dice] to decide who would get his clothes [Ps. 22:18]. ³⁵ The people stood there watching. And the leaders ·made fun of [sneered at; mocked] Jesus, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is ·God’s Chosen One, the Christ [or God’s Messiah, the Chosen One].”

³⁶ The soldiers also ·made fun of [mocked] him, coming to Jesus and offering him some ·vinegar [sour wine]. ³⁷ They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ ·At the top of the cross these words were written [^LAbove him there was also an inscription]: this is the king of the jews.

³⁹ One of the criminals ·on a cross [^Lwho was hanging there] began to ·shout insults at [slander; blaspheme] Jesus: “Aren’t you the ·Christ [Messiah]? Then save yourself and us.”

⁴⁰ But the other criminal ·stopped [rebuked] him and said, “·You should [^LDon’t you…?] fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. ⁴¹ We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³ Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise [^Cheaven or the presence of God].”

Jesus Dies

⁴⁴ It was about ·noon [^Lthe sixth hour; ^Chours were counted from dawn, about 6 AM], and the whole land became dark until ·three o’clock in the afternoon [^Lthe ninth hour], ⁴⁵ because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the Temple [^Cdividing the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple] was torn ·in two [down the middle]. ⁴⁶ Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, ·I give you my life [^Linto your hands I entrust/commit my spirit; Ps. 31:5].” After Jesus said this, he ·died [expired; ^Tbreathed his last].

⁴⁷ When the ·army officer [^Lcenturion] there saw what happened, he ·praised [glorified] God, saying, “Surely this was a ·good [righteous; or innocent] man!”

⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered there to watch saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests [^Ca sign of sorrow and remorse]. ⁴⁹ But those who ·were close friends of Jesus [^Lknew him], including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched [^Lthese things].

³¹ After they ·finished [had mocked him], the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

Jesus Is Crucified^(A)

³² ·As the soldiers were going out of the city with Jesus [^LAs they went out], they ·met [found; came across] a man from Cyrene [^Ca city in northern Africa, in present-day Libya], named Simon, and forced him to carry the cross for Jesus. ³³ They all came to the place called Golgotha, which means [^Cin Aramaic] the Place of the Skull. ³⁴ ·The soldiers [^LThey; ^Cthis could be the soldiers or the women of Jerusalem] gave Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink [^Cthe gall was either a sedative or further mockery, making the wine bitter; Ps. 69:21; Prov. 31:6]. He tasted the wine but refused to drink it. ³⁵ When the soldiers had crucified him, they threw lots [^Csimilar to dice] to ·decide who would get [^Ldivide up] his clothes^[a] [Ps. 22:18]. ³⁶ The soldiers sat there and ·continued watching [kept guard over] him. ³⁷ They put a sign above Jesus’ head with the charge against him. It said: this is jesus, the king of the jews. ³⁸ Two ·robbers [rebels; revolutionaries; ^Cthe term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists] were crucified beside Jesus, one on the right and the other on the left [Is. 53:12]. ³⁹ People walked by and ·insulted [defamed; slandered; ^Cthe same Greek word used to “blaspheme”] Jesus and shook their heads [^Ca gesture of derision; Ps. 22:7], ⁴⁰ saying, “You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that cross if you are really the Son of God!”

⁴¹ The ·leading [^Tchief] priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders were also ·making fun of [mocking] Jesus. ⁴² They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He says he is the king of Israel! If he is the king, let him come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God, so let God ·save [rescue; deliver] him now, if God really wants him [Ps. 22:8]. He himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And in the same way, the robbers [rebels; revolutionaries; v. 38] who were being crucified beside Jesus also ·insulted [ridiculed; taunted] him.

Jesus Dies^(B)

⁴⁵ At ·noon [^Lthe sixth hour] the whole country became dark, and the darkness lasted ·for three hours [^Luntil the ninth hour]. ⁴⁶ About ·three o’clock [^Lthe ninth hour] Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you ·abandoned [forsaken] me [Ps. 22:1; ^Cthese words are a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic]?”

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there who heard this said, “He is calling Elijah.” [^CThe prophet Elijah, associated with the end times (Mal. 4:5), was also viewed as a helper in time of need.]

⁴⁸ ·Quickly [At once] one of them ran and got a sponge and filled it with ·vinegar [or sour wine; ^Can inexpensive drink used by soldiers and slaves] and tied it to a ·stick [reed] and gave it to Jesus to drink [Ps. 69:21]. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “·Don’t bother him [Wait; Leave him alone]. We want to see if Elijah will come to save him.”

⁵⁰ But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and ·died [^Lreleased his spirit].

⁵¹ ·Then [^TAnd behold] the curtain in the Temple [^Cdividing the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple] was torn into two pieces, from the top to the bottom [^Crepresenting new access to the presence of God, and perhaps God’s judgment against the Temple leadership]. Also, the earth shook and rocks broke apart. ⁵² The graves opened, and many [^Lof the bodies] of ·God’s people [the saints] who had ·died [^Lfallen asleep] were raised from the dead. ⁵³ They came out of the graves after ·Jesus was raised from the dead [^Lhis resurrection] and went into the holy city [^CJerusalem], where they appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ When the ·army officer [centurion] and ·the soldiers [^Lthose with him] guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything else that happened, they were ·very frightened [filled with awe] and said, “He really was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to ·help [provide support for; minister to] him were standing at a distance from the cross, watching. ⁵⁶ Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were ·there [among them].

²⁰ After they finished, the soldiers took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him out of the palace to be crucified.

Jesus Is Crucified^(A)

²¹ A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus [^Cprobably two Christians known to Mark’s readers], was coming from the ·fields [countryside] to the city. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus. ²² They led Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means [^Cin Aramaic] the Place of the Skull. ²³ ·The soldiers [^L They; ^Cthis could be the soldiers or the women of Jerusalem] tried to give Jesus wine mixed with myrrh to drink [^Ca narcotic meant to dull the pain; Prov. 31:6; Ps. 69:21], but he refused. ²⁴ The soldiers crucified Jesus and divided his clothes among themselves, throwing lots [^Csimilar to dice] to decide what each soldier would get [Ps. 22:18].

²⁵ It was ·nine o’clock in the morning [^Lthe third hour] when they crucified Jesus. ²⁶ There was a sign with this charge against Jesus written on it: the king of the jews. ²⁷ They also put two ·robbers [rebels; revolutionaries; ^Cthe term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists] on crosses beside Jesus, one on the right, and the other on the left. |²⁸ And the Scripture came true that says, “They put him with criminals [Is. 53:12].”|^{[a] 29} People walked by and ·insulted [defamed; slandered; ^Cthe same Greek word used to “blaspheme”] Jesus and shook their heads [^Ca gesture of derision; Ps. 22:7], saying, “You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. ³⁰ So save yourself! Come down from that cross!”

³¹ The ·leading [^Tchief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] were also making fun of Jesus. They said to each other, “He saved other people, but he can’t save himself. ³² If he is really the ·Christ [Messiah], the king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross. When we see this, we will believe in him.” The robbers who were being crucified beside Jesus also ·insulted [ridiculed; taunted] him.

Jesus Dies^(B)

³³ At ·noon [^Lthe sixth hour] the whole country became dark, and the darkness lasted ·for three hours [^Luntil the ninth hour]. ³⁴ At ·three o’clock [^Lthe ninth hour] Jesus cried in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.” This means [^Cin Aramaic], “My God, my God, why have you ·abandoned [forsaken] me?” [Ps. 22:1]

³⁵ When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “Listen! He is calling Elijah.” [^CThe prophet Elijah was associated with the end times (Mal. 4:5) and was also viewed as a helper in time of need.]

³⁶ Someone there ran and got a sponge, filled it with ·vinegar [or sour wine; ^Can inexpensive drink used by soldiers and slaves], tied it to a ·stick [reed], and gave it to Jesus to drink [Ps. 69:21]. He said, “[Leave him be; Wait!] We want to see if Elijah will come to take him down from the cross.”

³⁷ Then Jesus cried in a loud voice and ·died [breathed his last; ^Lexpired].

³⁸ The curtain [^Cdividing the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple] in the Temple was torn into two pieces, from the top to the bottom [^Crepresenting new access to the presence of God, and perhaps God’s judgment against the Temple leadership]. ³⁹ When the ·army officer [centurion] who was standing in front of the cross saw ·what happened when [or how] Jesus died,^[b] he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰ Some women were standing at a distance from the cross, watching; among them were Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph. (James was her youngest son.) ⁴¹ These women had followed Jesus in Galilee and ·helped [cared for; supported] him. Many other women were also there who had come with Jesus to Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull, which in the Hebrew [^CAramaic; see v. 13] language is called Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified Jesus. They also crucified two other men, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. ¹⁹ Pilate wrote a ·sign [title; notice; inscription] and ·put [fastened] it on the cross. It read: jesus ·of nazareth [^Lthe Nazarene], the king of the jews. ²⁰ The ·sign [title; notice; inscription] was written in Hebrew [^CAramaic; 19:13], in Latin, and in Greek [^Cthe languages spoken in Jerusalem at the time]. Many of the people read the sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. ²¹ The ·leading [^Tchief] priests [^Lof the Jews] said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews.’ But write, ‘This man ·said [claimed], “I am the King of the Jews.”’”

²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

²³ After the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, with each soldier getting one part [^Cit was a custom that the executioners would get the victim’s clothes]. They also took his ·long shirt [tunic; undergarment], which was ·all one piece of cloth [seamless], woven from top to bottom. ²⁴ So the soldiers said to each other, “We should not tear this into parts. Let’s throw lots [^Csimilar to dice] to see who will get it.” This happened so that this Scripture would come true:

So the soldiers did this.

²⁵ [^LNow] Standing near his cross were Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [^CIt is unclear whether Mary the wife of Clopas is the same as Jesus’ mother’s sister or someone else.] ²⁶ When Jesus [^Ltherefore] saw his mother and the ·follower [disciple] he loved [^Cprobably John himself] standing nearby, he said to his mother, “·Dear woman [^LWoman; see 2:4], ·here is [^Tbehold] your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the ·follower [disciple], “·Here is [^TBehold] your mother.” From that time on, the ·follower [disciple] took her to live in his home.

Jesus Dies^(A)

²⁸ After this, Jesus knew that everything had been ·done [finished; completed]. So that the Scripture would ·come true [be fulfilled], he said, “I ·am thirsty [^Tthirst; Ps. 22:15; 69:21].” ²⁹ There was a jar full of ·vinegar [sour wine] there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a ·branch [stalk] of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus ·tasted [^Lreceived] the ·vinegar [sour wine], he said, “It is ·finished [completed; accomplished].” Then he bowed his head and ·died [^Lgave up/yielded his spirit].