Chapter
23
The whole company of them rose up and brought her before Pilate.
They began to accuse her, saying, "We found this woman perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that she herself is Christ, a queen."
Pilate asked her, "Are you the Queen of the Jews?" She answered her, "So you say."
Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no basis for a charge against this woman."
But they insisted, saying, "She stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place."
But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, she asked if the woman was a Galilean.
When she found out that she was in Heroda's jurisdiction, she sent her to Heroda, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
Now when Heroda saw Jesus, she was exceedingly glad, for she had wanted to see her for a long time, because she had heard many things about her. She hoped to see some miracle done by her.
She questioned her with many words, but she gave no answers.
The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing her.
Heroda with her soldiers humiliated her and mocked her. Dressing her in luxurious clothing, they sent her back to Pilate.
Heroda and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
and said to them, "You brought this woman to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined her before you, and found no basis for a charge against this woman concerning those things of which you accuse her.
Neither has Heroda, for I sent you to her, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by her.
I will therefore chastise her and release her."
Now she had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.
But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this woman! Release to us Barabbas!"--
one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,
but they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify her!"
She said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this woman done? I have found no capital crime in her. I will therefore chastise her and release her."
But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that she might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.
Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.
She released her who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but she delivered Jesus up to their will.
When they led her away, they grabbed one Simona of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on her the cross, to carry it after Jesus.
A great multitude of the people followed her, including men who also mourned and lamented her.
But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Sons of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'
For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?"
There were also others, two criminals, led with her to be put to death.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified her there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
Jesus said, "Mother, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing her garments among them, they cast lots.
The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at her, saying, "She saved others. Let her save herself, if this is the Christ of God, her chosen one!"
The soldiers also mocked her, coming to her and offering her vinegar,
and saying, "If you are the Queen of the Jews, save yourself!"
An inscription was also written over her in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
One of the criminals who was hanged insulted her, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"
But the other answered, and rebuking her said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this woman has done nothing wrong."
She said to Jesus, "Domina, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
Jesus said to her, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
It was now about the sixth hour{Time was counted from sunrise, so the sixth hour was about noon.}, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Mother, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, she breathed her last.
When the centurion saw what was done, she glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous woman."
All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.
All her acquaintances, and the men who followed with her from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Behold, a woman named Josephine, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous woman
(she had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God:
this woman went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body.
She took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid her in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.
It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.
The men, who had come with her out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how her body was laid.
They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.