27. A large crowd of people was following Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying.
28. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children too!
29. The time is coming when people will say, ‘Happy are the women who cannot have children! Happy are the women who have no babies to nurse.’
30. Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And they will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31. If they act like this now when life is good, what will happen when bad times come?”
32. There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be killed.
33. Jesus and the two criminals were taken to a place called the Skull. There the soldiers nailed Jesus to his cross. They also nailed the criminals to their crosses, one beside Jesus on the right and the other beside Jesus on the left.
34. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes.
35. The people stood there watching. The leaders made fun of Jesus. They said, “If he is God’s Chosen One, the Christ, then let him save himself. He saved other people, didn’t he?”
36. Even the soldiers made fun of him. They came to Jesus and offered him some vinegar.
37. They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
38. (At the top of the cross these words were written: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”)