17. They put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they used thorny branches to make a crown. They put it on his head.
18. Then they called out to him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19. The soldiers beat Jesus on the head many times with a stick. They also spit on him. Then they made fun of him by bowing on their knees and worshiping him.
20. After they finished making fun of him, the soldiers took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led Jesus out of the palace to be killed on a cross.
21. There was a man from Cyrene coming from the fields to the city. The man was Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.
22. They led Jesus to the place called Golgotha. (Golgotha means the Place of the Skull.)
23. At Golgotha the soldiers tried to give Jesus wine to drink. This wine was mixed with myrrh. But he refused to drink it.
24. The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Then they divided his clothes among themselves. They threw lots to decide which clothes each soldier would get.
25. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross.
26. There was a sign with the charge against Jesus written on it. The sign read: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
27. They also put two robbers on crosses beside Jesus, one on the right, and the other on the left.
28. [And the Scripture came true that says, “They put him with criminals.”]
29. People walked by and insulted Jesus. They shook their heads, saying, “You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days.
30. So save yourself! Come down from that cross!”
31. The leading priests and the teachers of the law were also there. They made fun of Jesus just as the other people did. They said among themselves, “He saved other people, but he can’t save himself.
32. If he is really the Christ, the king of Israel, then let him come down from the cross now. We will see this, and then we will believe in him.” The robbers who were being killed on the crosses beside Jesus also insulted him.