Luke 23:11-36

11Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and made fun of him. They put a colorful robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

12So Herod and Pilate became friends that day. They had been enemies before this.

13Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people.

14He told them, “You brought me this man as someone who turns the people against the government. I’ve questioned him in front of you and haven’t found this man guilty of the crimes of which you accuse him.

15Neither could Herod. So he sent this man back to us. This man hasn’t done anything to deserve the death penalty.

16So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.”

18The whole crowd then shouted, “Take him away! Free Barabbas for us.”

19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for his involvement in a riot that had taken place in the city and for murder.)

20But because Pilate wanted to free Jesus, he spoke to the people again.

21They began yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22A third time Pilate spoke to them. He asked, “Why? What has he done wrong? I haven’t found this man deserving of the death penalty. So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.”

23But the crowd pressured Pilate. They shouted that Jesus had to be crucified, and they finally won.

24Pilate decided to give in to their demand.

25He freed Barabbas, who had been put in prison for rioting and murdering, because that’s what they wanted. But he let them do what they wanted to Jesus.

26As the soldiers led Jesus away, they grabbed a man named Simon, who was from the city of Cyrene. Simon was coming into Jerusalem. They laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

27A large crowd followed Jesus. The women in the crowd cried and sang funeral songs for him.

28Jesus turned to them and said, “You women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me! Rather, cry for yourselves and your children!

29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who couldn’t get pregnant, who couldn’t give birth, and who couldn’t nurse a child.’

30Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’

31If people do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry one?”

32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be executed with him.

33When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him. The criminals were also crucified, one on his right and the other on his left.

34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” Meanwhile, the soldiers divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.

35The people stood there watching. But the rulers were making sarcastic remarks. They said, “He saved others. If he’s the Messiah that God has chosen, let him save himself!”

36The soldiers also made fun of him. They would go up to him, offer him some vinegar,