26. The soldiers led Jesus away. At that same time there was a man from Cyrene named Simon coming into the city from the fields. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and walk behind him.
27. A large crowd followed Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying. They felt sorry for him.
28. But Jesus turned and said to the women, “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, ‘The women who cannot have babies are the ones God has blessed. It’s really a blessing that they have no children to care for.’
30. Then the people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ They will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31. If this can happen to someone who is good, what will happen to those who are guilty?”
32. There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be killed.
33. They were led to a place called “The Skull.” There the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. They also nailed the criminals to crosses beside Jesus—one on the right and the other on the left.
34. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers threw dice to divide Jesus’ clothes between them.
35. The people stood there watching everything. The Jewish leaders laughed at Jesus. They said, “If he is God’s Chosen One, the Messiah, then let him save himself. He saved others, didn’t he?”