Good News Bible

Mark 15:20-39 Good News Bible (GNB)

20. When they had finished mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

21. On the way they met a man named Simon, who was coming into the city from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was from Cyrene and was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)

22. They took Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means “The Place of the Skull”.

23. There they tried to give him wine mixed with a drug called myrrh, but Jesus would not drink it.

24. Then they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to see who would get which piece of clothing.

25. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.

26. The notice of the accusation against him said: “The King of the Jews”.

27. They also crucified two bandits with Jesus, one on his right and the other on his left.

29. People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus: “Aha! You were going to tear down the Temple and build it up again in three days!

30. Now come down from the cross and save yourself!”

31. In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law jeered at Jesus, saying to each other, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

32. Let us see the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him!”And the two who were crucified with Jesus insulted him also.

33. At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours.

34. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”

35. Some of the people there heard him and said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!”

36. One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus' lips and said, “Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring him down from the cross!”

37. With a loud cry Jesus died.

38. The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

39. The army officer who was standing there in front of the cross saw how Jesus had died. “This man was really the Son of God!” he said.