| And *anon in the dawning the high Priests held council with the elders and the Scribes, and the whole congregation and bound Jesus and led him away, and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him: art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered and said unto him: thou sayest it. And the high priests accused him of many things. Wherefore Pilate asked him again saying: Answerest thou nothing? Behold how many things they lay unto thy charge. Jesus yet answered never a word, so that Pilate marvelled.
At that feast Pilate was wont to deliver at their pleasure a prisoner: whomsoever they would desire. And there was one named Barabas, which lay bound with them that made insurrection, and in the insurrection committed murder. And the people called unto him, and began to desire according as he had ever done unto them. Pilate answered them and said: Will ye that I loose unto you the king of the Jews? For he knew that the high Priests had delivered him of envy. But the high priests had moved the people that he should rather deliver Barabas unto them.
And Pilate answered again, and said unto them: What will ye then that I do with him whom ye call the king of the Jews? And they cried again: crucify him. Pilate said unto them: What evil hath he done? And they cried the more fervently: Crucify him. And so Pilate willing to content the people, loosed them Barabas, and delivered Jesus when he had scourged him, for to be crucified.
And the soldiers led him away into the common hall, and called together the whole multitude, and they clothed him with purple, and they plaited a crown of thorns and crowned him with all, and began to salute him: Hail king of the Jewes. And they smote him on the head with a reed, and spat upon him, and worshipped him.
And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him and led him out, to crucify him. And they compelled one that passed by, called Simon of Cyrene (which came out of the field, and was father of Alexander and Rufus) to bear his cross. And they brought him to a place named Golgotha (which is by interpretation, the place of dead mens skulls) and they gave him to drink, wine mingled with myrrh, but he received it not.
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots for them, what every man should have. And it was about the third hour, and they crucified him. And the title of his cause was written: The king of the Jews. And they crucified with him two thieves: the one on the right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which sayeth: he was counted among the wicked.
And they that went by railed on him: wagging their heads and saying: A wretch, that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days: save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also mocked him the high Priests among themselves with the Scribes and said, he saved other men, himself he cannot save. Let Christ the king of Israel now descend from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him, checked him also.
And when the sixth hour was come, darkness arose over all the earth, until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamaasabathani, which is if it be interpreted: my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard that, said: behold he calleth for *Helias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying: let him alone, let us see whether *Helias will come and take him down.
But Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the Ghost. And the veil of the temple did rent in two pieces, from the top to the bottom. And when the Centurion which stood before him, saw that he so cried and gave up the ghost, he said: truly this man was the son of God. There were also women a good way off beholding him: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the little, and of Joses, and Mary Salome: which also when he was in Galile, followed him and ministered unto him, and many other women which came up with him to Jerusalem.
And now when night was come (because it was the even that goeth before the saboth) Joseph of Arimathia a noble Councillor which also looked for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesu. And Pilate marvelled that he was already dead, and called unto him the Centurion, and asked of him, whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew the truth of the Centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen cloth, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn out of the sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary Joses beheld where he was laid. |
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