crucified. And he said unto the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and behold I having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him. No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. But they cried out the more saying, Let him be crucified.

But Pilate, wishing to release Jesus spake again to them saying, What evil hath he done? But they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him, Crucify him. And they were insistent with loud voices, requiring that he be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed: and when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. And so Pilate, wishing to release Jesus, yet willing to content the people, gave sentence that it should be as they required; and released Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers took Jesus into the common hall and they stripped him and put on him again the gorgeous robe which had been given him by Herod. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head. his head. And they put a reed in his hand, and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon

him, and took the reed and smote him on the head, and with one accord, bowing their knees, made obeisance to him. And when they had thus mocked him, they took off from him the purple robe, and put his own clothes on him and led him out to crucify him.

And he, bearing his cross, went forth toward the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha. And as they went they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. And there were also two others, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

And when they were come unto Golgotha, which is also called Calvary, they crucified him; and the malefactors, one on his right hand and the other on the left. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, but he received it not. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross; and the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, write not, The King of the Jews, but that he said, I am King of the Jews: but Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; they took also his robe, for which they cast lots. Now the robe was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: and herein was the scripture fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things the soldiers did. And sitting down, they watched him on the cross. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.

And with him were crucified the two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left: and the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And one of the malefactors railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us: but the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests derided him, with the scribes and

elders, saying, He saved others; himself he cannot save: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him: he trusted in God; let Him deliver him now if He will save him, for he said, I am the Son of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. There were also women looking on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome (who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him); and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

Jesus was crucified at about the third hour; and when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour: and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar and put it on a reed and gave it him to drink, saying, Let us see whether Elias will come to save him. And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his

head and said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

And the Jews, desiring that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.* Then came the soldiers and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him: but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe: for these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Now when the centurian and them that were with him saw that Jesus gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this was a righteous man.

And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

THE RESURRECTION

And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good and just man who had

*Note 28