Matthew 27:24-50

24Then Pilate knew that he could not do anything to make them quiet. He thought that the people would start to fight his soldiers. So he took a dish of water and he washed his hands in front of the people. He said, ‘It is not because of me that this man will die. You are the people who have caused it to happen.’

25All the people answered Pilate, ‘Yes, God should punish us and our children, if we have done the wrong thing.’

26Then Pilate let Barabbas go free, as the crowd wanted. But he said to his soldiers, ‘Hit Jesus many times with a whip. Then take him and fix him to a cross to die.’

27Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the yard of the ruler's house. All the other soldiers in their group were there.

28They removed Jesus' clothes from him. They put a dark red coat on him.

29They used some branches with thorns to make a crown for him. Then they put it on his head. They put a long stick in his right hand. They went down on their knees in front of him. They laughed at him and they said, ‘Hello, King of the Jews, you are great!’

30Then the soldiers spat into Jesus' face. They took the stick and they hit Jesus on his head with it many times.

31After they had laughed at him, they took the special coat off him. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they took him out to the place where they would kill him on a cross.

32When they were going to that place, they met a man called Simon. He came from the city of Cyrene. The Roman soldiers told Simon that he must carry Jesus' cross.

33The soldiers took Jesus to the place that is called Golgotha. (Golgotha means the place of a skull. )

34They tried to give Jesus some wine to drink. They had mixed some medicine into the wine. Jesus tasted it, but he would not drink it.

35Then the soldiers fixed Jesus onto the cross. They took his clothes for themselves. They played a game to find out who would receive each piece of his clothes.

36Then the soldiers sat down and they watched Jesus carefully.

37Above his head they fixed a notice. This showed the reason why they were killing him. It said, ‘This man is Jesus, the king of the Jews.’

38Then the soldiers also fixed two robbers to crosses near to Jesus. One robber was at Jesus' right side, and one was at his left side.

39The people who walked near there insulted Jesus. They laughed at him,

40and they said, ‘You said that you could destroy the temple and then build it again in three days. If you really are the Son of God, save yourself. Come down from the cross.’

41The leaders of the priests and the teachers of God's Law and the important Jews also laughed at him.

42They said, ‘This man saved other people, did he? But he cannot save his own life! He says that he is the king of Israel. So he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.

43He says that he trusts in God. So if God wants him, God should save him now. He did say that he is the Son of God.’

44Then the two robbers who were on the crosses next to Jesus also insulted him.

45It was now midday. The whole country became dark for three hours.

46At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Jesus shouted loudly, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ That means, ‘My God, my God, why have you left me alone?’

47Some people who were standing there heard him. They said to each other, ‘He is shouting to Elijah.’

48One of these people ran quickly and he brought a piece of cloth. He poured cheap wine on it, and he put it on the end of a stick. He lifted it up to Jesus so that he could drink the wine from it.

49The other people said, ‘Wait! Now we will see if Elijah comes to save him.’

50Then Jesus shouted again with a loud voice, and after that he died.