Mark 15 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 As^(A) soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders,^(B) scribes,^(C) and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests^(D) tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.^(E)

² So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king^(F) of the Jews?”^(G)

He answered him, “You say so.”

³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ Pilate^(H) questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!” ⁵ But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

⁶ At^(I) the festival^(J) Pilate^(K) used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. ⁷ There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder^(L) during the rebellion.^{(M) 8} The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. ⁹ Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king^(N) of the Jews^(O) for you?” ¹⁰ For he knew it was because of envy^(P) that the chief priests had handed him over. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. ¹² Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

¹³ Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ The^(Q) soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence^(R)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple^(S) robe, twisted together a crown^(T) of thorns, and put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail,^(U) king^(V) of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,^(W) they were paying him homage. ²⁰ After they had mocked^(X) him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.

Crucified between Two Criminals

They led him out to crucify him. ²¹ They^(Y) forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross.^(Z) He was Simon of Cyrene,^(AA) the father of Alexander and Rufus.^(AB)

²² They^(AC) brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull^(AD)). ²³ They tried to give him wine^(AE) mixed with myrrh,^(AF) but he did not take it.

²⁴ Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots^(AG) for them to decide what each would get. ²⁵ Now it was nine in the morning^[a] when they crucified him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge written against him was: The King^(AH) of the Jews.^{(AI) 27} They^(AJ) crucified two criminals^[b](AK) with him, one on his right and one on his left.^[c]

²⁹ Those^(AL) who passed by were yelling insults^(AM) at^[d] him, shaking their heads,^(AN) and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,^{(AO) 30} save yourself by coming down from the cross!”^{(AP) 31} In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes^(AQ) were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! ³² Let the Messiah,^(AR) the King^(AS) of Israel,^(AT) come down now from the cross,^(AU) so that we may see and believe.”^(AV) Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ When^(AW) it was noon,^[e] darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.^{[f](AX) 34} And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”^[g](AY)

³⁵ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink,^(AZ) and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷ Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ Then the curtain^(BA) of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he^[h] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ^[i](BB)

⁴⁰ There^(BC) were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,^(BD) Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee^(BE) these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.^(BF)

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² When^(BG) it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward^(BH) to the kingdom of God,^(BI) came and boldly went to Pilate^(BJ) and asked for Jesus’s body.^{(BK) 44} Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. ⁴⁵ When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb^(BL) cut out of the rock and rolled a stone^(BM) against the entrance to the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene^(BN) and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

Footnotes

1. 15:25 Lit was the third hour
2. 15:27 Or revolutionaries
3. 15:27 Some mss include v. 28: So the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And he was counted among criminals.
4. 15:29 Or passed by blasphemed
5. 15:33 Lit the sixth hour
6. 15:33 Lit the ninth hour, also in v. 34
7. 15:34 Ps 22:1
8. 15:39 Other mss read saw that he cried out like this and
9. 15:39 Or a son of God

Cross references

1. 15:1–5 : Mt 27:2,11–14; Lk 23:25; Jn 18:28–38
2. 15:1 : 3Jn 1
3. 15:1 : Mt 2:4
4. 15:1 : Mk 13:9
5. 15:1 : 1Tm 6:13
6. 15:2 : Lk 19:38
7. 15:2 : Jn 19:21
8. 15:4 : 1Tm 6:13
9. 15:6–15 : Mt 27:15–26; Lk 23:13–25; Jn 18:39–19:6
10. 15:6 : Mk 14:1
11. 15:6 : 1Tm 6:13
12. 15:7 : Pr 1:16
13. 15:7 : Ac 23:7
14. 15:9 : Lk 19:38
15. 15:9 : Jn 19:21
16. 15:10 : Ps 37:1
17. 15:16–20 : Mt 27:27–31
18. 15:16 : Jn 18:28,33; 19:9; Ac 23:35; Php 1:13
19. 15:17 : Mk 15:20; Lk 16:19; Rv 18:12
20. 15:17 : Jn 19:2,5; Rv 12:1
21. 15:18 : Mt 26:49; Lk 1:28; Jn 19:3
22. 15:18 : Lk 19:38
23. 15:19 : Mk 5:6; Lk 22:41; Eph 3:14
24. 15:20 : Mk 10:34
25. 15:21 : Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26–31
26. 15:21 : Lk 9:23
27. 15:21 : Ac 6:9
28. 15:21 : Rm 16:13
29. 15:22–26 : Mt 27:33–37; Lk 22:32–34; Jn 19:17–24
30. 15:22 : Jn 19:17
31. 15:23 : Gn 9:21; Dt 7:13; Ps 4:7; Pr 3:10; Lk 5:37
32. 15:23 : Ps 69:21
33. 15:24 : Ps 22:18
34. 15:26 : Lk 19:38
35. 15:26 : Jn 11:36
36. 15:27 : Mt 27:38,44; Lk 23:39–43
37. 15:27 : Mk 14:48
38. 15:29–32 : Mt 27:39–43; Lk 23:35–38
39. 15:29 : Ex 22:28; Mk 3:29; Rv 13:6
40. 15:29 : Ps 22:7
41. 15:29 : Jn 2:19
42. 15:30 : Lk 23:26
43. 15:31 : Mt 2:4
44. 15:32 : Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2
45. 15:32 : Lk 19:38
46. 15:32 : Jn 1:49
47. 15:32 : Lk 23:26
48. 15:32 : Mk 8:11–12; 11:24; Jn 3:16; Ac 10:43; Rm 10:9; 1Pt 1:8–10
49. 15:33–39 : Mt 27:45–54; Lk 23:44–48; Jn 19:28–30
50. 15:33 : Am 8:9
51. 15:34 : Ps 22:1
52. 15:36 : Ps 69:21
53. 15:38 : Ex 26:31–33; 2Ch 3:14; Heb 6:19; 9:3; 10:20
54. 15:39 : Jn 5:19; Heb 1:2
55. 15:40–41 : Mt 27:55–56; Lk 23:49; Jn 19:25–27
56. 15:40 : Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1,9; Lk 8:2; 24:10; Jn 20:1–18
57. 15:41 : Mt 17:22
58. 15:41 : Mt 23:37
59. 15:42–46 : Mt 27:57–60; Lk 23:50–54; Jn 19:38–42
60. 15:43 : Jd 21
61. 15:43 : Mk 1:15
62. 15:43 : 1Tm 6:13
63. 15:43 : Lk 12:4; Jn 2:21
64. 15:46 : Jn 5:28; 11:38; Ac 13:29
65. 15:46 : Jn 20:1
66. 15:47 : Mt 27:61–66; Lk 23:55–56