Luke 23 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate^(A)

23 Then ^(B)the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to ^(C)Pilate. ² And they began to ^(D)accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow ^(E)perverting ^[a]the nation, and ^(F)forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying ^(G)that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

^{3 (H)}Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

⁴ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ^(I)“I find no fault in this Man.”

⁵ But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from ^(J)Galilee to this place.”

Jesus Faces Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard ^[b]of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that He belonged to ^(K)Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Now when Herod saw Jesus, ^(L)he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because ^(M)he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. ⁹ Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him ^(N)nothing. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. ^{11 (O)}Then Herod, with his ^[c]men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² That very day ^(P)Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(Q)

^{13 (R)}Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, ^(S)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, ^(T)having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for ^[d]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ^{16 (U)}I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” ^{17 (V)}(for^[e] it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

¹⁸ And ^(W)they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

²² Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men ^[f]and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So ^(X)Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. ^{25 (Y)}And he released ^[g]to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

The King on a Cross^(Z)

^{26 (AA)}Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

²⁷ And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ^{29 (AB)}For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin ^(AC)‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ ^{31 (AD)}For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

^{32 (AE)}There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And ^(AF)when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ^{34 [h]}Then Jesus said, “Father, ^(AG)forgive them, for ^(AH)they do not know what they do.”

And ^(AI)they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And ^(AJ)the people stood looking on. But even the ^(AK)rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him ^(AL)sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

^{38 (AM)}And an inscription also was ^[i]written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

^{39 (AN)}Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ^[j]“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done ^(AO)nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said ^[k]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in ^(AP)Paradise.”

Jesus Dies on the Cross^(AQ)

^{44 (AR)}Now it ^[l]was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ Then the sun was ^[m]darkened, and ^(AS)the veil of the temple was torn in ^[n]two. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ^(AT)‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” ^(AU)Having said this, He breathed His last.

^{47 (AV)}So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

⁴⁸ And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. ^{49 (AW)}But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb^(AX)

^{50 (AY)}Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. ⁵¹ He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, ^(AZ)who^[o] himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ^{53 (BA)}Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴ That day was ^(BB)the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

⁵⁵ And the women ^(BC)who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and ^(BD)they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and ^(BE)prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath ^(BF)according to the commandment.

Footnotes

1. Luke 23:2 NU our
2. Luke 23:6 NU omits of Galilee
3. Luke 23:11 troops
4. Luke 23:15 NU he sent Him back to us
5. Luke 23:17 NU omits v. 17.
6. Luke 23:23 NU omits and of the chief priests
7. Luke 23:25 NU, M omit to them
8. Luke 23:34 NU brackets the first sentence as a later addition.
9. Luke 23:38 NU omits written and in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew
10. Luke 23:39 NU Are You not the Christ? Save
11. Luke 23:42 NU “Jesus, remember me
12. Luke 23:44 NU adds already
13. Luke 23:45 NU obscured
14. Luke 23:45 the middle
15. Luke 23:51 NU who was waiting

Cross references

1. Luke 23:1 : Matt. 27:1, 2, 11–14; Mark 15:1–5; John 18:28–38
2. Luke 23:1 : Matt. 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 18:32; John 18:28
3. Luke 23:1 : Luke 3:1; 13:1
4. Luke 23:2 : Acts 24:2
5. Luke 23:2 : Acts 17:7
6. Luke 23:2 : Matt. 17:27; Mark 12:17
7. Luke 23:2 : John 19:12
8. Luke 23:3 : Matt. 27:11; 1 Tim. 6:13
9. Luke 23:4 : Matt. 27:19; [1 Pet. 2:22]
10. Luke 23:5 : John 7:41
11. Luke 23:7 : Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 3:1; 9:7; 13:31
12. Luke 23:8 : Luke 9:9
13. Luke 23:8 : Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14
14. Luke 23:9 : Is. 53:7; Matt. 27:12, 14; Mark 15:5; John 19:9
15. Luke 23:11 : Is. 53:3
16. Luke 23:12 : Acts 4:26, 27
17. Luke 23:13 : Matt. 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; John 18:38—19:16
18. Luke 23:13 : Matt. 27:23; Mark 15:14; John 18:38
19. Luke 23:14 : Luke 23:1, 2
20. Luke 23:14 : Luke 23:4
21. Luke 23:16 : Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:22; John 19:1; Acts 16:37
22. Luke 23:17 : Matt. 27:15; Mark 15:6; John 18:39
23. Luke 23:18 : Is. 53:3; Acts 3:13–15
24. Luke 23:24 : Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:16
25. Luke 23:25 : Is. 53:8
26. Luke 23:26 : Matt. 27:32–44; Mark 15:21–32; John 19:17–24
27. Luke 23:26 : Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; John 19:17
28. Luke 23:29 : Matt. 24:19; Luke 21:23
29. Luke 23:30 : Is. 2:19; Hos. 10:8; Rev. 6:16, 17; 9:6
30. Luke 23:31 : [Prov. 11:31; Jer. 25:29]; Ezek. 20:47; 21:3, 4; 1 Pet. 4:17
31. Luke 23:32 : Is. 53:9, 12; Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; John 19:18
32. Luke 23:33 : Ps. 22:16–18; Matt. 27:33–44; Mark 15:22–32; John 19:17–24
33. Luke 23:34 : Ps. 109:4; [Matt. 5:44]; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 4:12
34. Luke 23:34 : Acts 3:17
35. Luke 23:34 : Ps. 22:18; Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; John 19:23
36. Luke 23:35 : Ps. 22:17; [Zech. 12:10]
37. Luke 23:35 : Ps. 22:8; Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29
38. Luke 23:36 : Ps. 69:21
39. Luke 23:38 : Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; John 19:19
40. Luke 23:39 : Matt. 27:44; Mark 15:32
41. Luke 23:41 : [2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:21–24]
42. Luke 23:43 : [2 Cor. 12:4; Eph. 4:8–10; Rev. 2:7]
43. Luke 23:44 : Matt. 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41; John 19:25–30
44. Luke 23:44 : Amos 8:9; Matt. 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41
45. Luke 23:45 : Ex. 26:31–33; Zech. 11:10; Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; [Heb. 9:3; 10:19, 20]
46. Luke 23:46 : Ps. 31:5; 1 Pet. 2:23
47. Luke 23:46 : Dan. 9:26; Zech. 11:10, 11; Matt. 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 19:30
48. Luke 23:47 : Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39
49. Luke 23:49 : Ps. 38:11; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40; John 16:20–22; 19:25
50. Luke 23:50 : Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42
51. Luke 23:50 : Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42
52. Luke 23:51 : Mark 15:43; Luke 2:25, 38
53. Luke 23:53 : Is. 53:9; Matt. 27:59; Mark 15:46
54. Luke 23:54 : Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42
55. Luke 23:55 : Luke 8:2
56. Luke 23:55 : Mark 15:47
57. Luke 23:56 : Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1
58. Luke 23:56 : Ex. 20:10; Deut. 5:14