Mark 10:1--16:20
Divorce
10:1 Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.
10:2 Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
10:3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
10:4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.”
10:5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts.
10:6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female.
10:7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,
10:8 and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10:10 In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this.
10:11 So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
10:12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Jesus and Little Children
10:13 Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them.
10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
10:15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
10:16 After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.
The Rich Man
10:17 Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
10:18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
10:19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
10:20 The man said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.”
10:21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
10:22 But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.
10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
10:24 The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
10:26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
10:27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God.”
10:28 Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!”
10:29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
10:30 who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life.
10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
10:32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.
10:33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles.
10:34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”
The Request of James and John
10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
10:36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
10:37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.”
10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?”
10:39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience,
10:40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
10:41 Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John.
10:42 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.
10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,
10:44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.
10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Healing Blind Bartimaeus
10:46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.
10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
10:48 Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
10:49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.”
10:50 He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
10:51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, let me see again.”
10:52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.
The Triumphal Entry
11:1 Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples
11:2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.’”
11:4 So they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it.
11:5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”
11:6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go.
11:7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
11:8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
11:9 Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11:11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.
Cursing of the Fig Tree
11:12 Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry.
11:13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
11:14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Cleansing the Temple
11:15 Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,
11:16 and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
11:17 Then he began to teach them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!”
11:18 The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.
11:19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
11:20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
11:21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
11:22 Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.
11:23 I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
11:24 For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
11:25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins.”
11:26 [[EMPTY]]
The Authority of Jesus
11:27 They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him
11:28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:
11:30 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people? Answer me.”
11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
11:32 But if we say, ‘From people – ’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet).
11:33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Tenants
12:1 Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
12:2 At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop.
12:3 But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
12:4 So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously.
12:5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.
12:6 He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’
12:8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.
12:9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
12:10 Have you not read this scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
12:11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12:12 Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
12:13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap him with his own words.
12:14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
12:15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
12:16 So they brought one, and he said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.”
12:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Marriage and the Resurrection
12:18 Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked him,
12:19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’
12:20 There were seven brothers. The first one married, and when he died he had no children.
12:21 The second married her and died without any children, and likewise the third.
12:22 None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too.
12:23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
12:24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God?
12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
12:26 Now as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
12:27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
The Greatest Commandment
12:28 Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
12:32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him.
12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one dared any longer to question him.
The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord
12:35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts in the law say that the Christ is David’s son?
12:36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said,
‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
12:37 If David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
Warnings About Experts in the Law
12:38 In his teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces,
12:39 and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
12:40 They devour widows’ property, and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”
The Widow’s Offering
12:41 Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts.
12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny.
12:43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others.
12:44 For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”
The Destruction of the Temple
13:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!”
13:2 Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”
Signs of the End of the Age
13:3 So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,
13:4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?”
13:5 Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out that no one misleads you.
13:6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will mislead many.
13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
13:8 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.
Persecution of Disciples
13:9 “You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.
13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations.
13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
13:12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death.
13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
13:15 The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house.
13:16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
13:17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days!
13:18 Pray that it may not be in winter.
13:19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.
13:20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.
13:21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him.
13:22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.
13:23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.
The Arrival of the Son of Man
13:24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;
13:25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
13:26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory.
13:27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
13:28 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.
13:29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, right at the door.
13:30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Be Ready!
13:32 “But as for that day or hour no one knows it – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son – except the Father.
13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come.
13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.
13:35 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return – whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn –
13:36 or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly.
13:37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!”
The Plot Against Jesus
14:1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
14:2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.”
Jesus’ Anointing
14:3 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.
14:4 But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ointment?
14:5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!” So they spoke angrily to her.
14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me.
14:7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me!
14:8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial.
14:9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
The Plan to Betray Jesus
14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands.
14:11 When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover
14:12 Now on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
14:13 He sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.
14:14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’
14:15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
14:16 So the disciples left, went into the city, and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14:17 Then, when it was evening, he came to the house with the twelve.
14:18 While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me will betray me.”
14:19 They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?”
14:20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl.
14:21 For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
The Lord’s Supper
14:22 While they were eating, he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it. This is my body.”
14:23 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
14:24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many.
14:25 I tell you the truth, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
14:26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Prediction of Peter’s Denial
14:27 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
14:28 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
14:29 Peter said to him, “Even if they all fall away, I will not!”
14:30 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today – this very night – before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
14:31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all of them said the same thing.
Gethsemane
14:32 Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
14:33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed.
14:34 He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.”
14:35 Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.
14:36 He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
14:37 Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour?
14:38 Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
14:39 He went away again and prayed the same thing.
14:40 When he came again he found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to tell him.
14:41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
14:42 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”
Betrayal and Arrest
14:43 Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders.
14:44 (Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.”)
14:45 When Judas arrived, he went up to Jesus immediately and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
14:46 Then they took hold of him and arrested him.
14:47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.
14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?
14:49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. But this has happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled.”
14:50 Then all the disciples left him and fled.
14:51 A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest him,
14:52 but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.
Condemned by the Sanhedrin
14:53 Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law came together.
14:54 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.
14:55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything.
14:56 Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree.
14:57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:
14:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’”
14:59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree.
14:60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?”
14:61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
14:62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
14:63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?
14:64 You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?” They all condemned him as deserving death.
14:65 Then some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him.
Peter’s Denials
14:66 Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s slave girls came by.
14:67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus.”
14:68 But he denied it: “I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!” Then he went out to the gateway, and a rooster crowed.
14:69 When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.”
14:70 But he denied it again. A short time later the bystanders again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.”
14:71 Then he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”
14:72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Jesus Brought Before Pilate
15:1 Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
15:2 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”
15:3 Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly.
15:4 So Pilate asked him again, “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!”
15:5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Jesus and Barabbas
15:6 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested.
15:7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.
15:8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom.
15:9 So Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?”
15:10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)
15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead.
15:12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?”
15:13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
15:14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”
15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Jesus is Mocked
15:16 So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort.
15:17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
15:18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!”
15:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him.
15:20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
15:21 The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).
15:22 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”).
15:23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
15:24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take.
15:25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
15:26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.”
15:27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.
15:28 [[EMPTY]]
15:29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
15:30 save yourself and come down from the cross!”
15:31 In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law – were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!
15:32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.
Jesus’ Death
15:33 Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
15:34 Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
15:35 When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!”
15:36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!”
15:37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last.
15:38 And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.
15:39 Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
15:40 There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
15:41 When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.
Jesus’ Burial
15:42 Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time.
15:45 When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
15:46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb.
15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was placed.
The Resurrection
16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him.
16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb.
16:3 They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back.
16:5 Then as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
16:6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him.
16:7 But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.”
16:8 Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
The Longer Ending of Mark
16:9 [[Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.
16:10 She went out and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping.
16:11 And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
16:12 After this he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were on their way to the country.
16:13 They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
16:14 Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected.
16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16:16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
16:17 These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;
16:18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.”
16:19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
16:20 They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]