CHAPTER LXXIII.
JESUS CRUCIFIED—HE PRAYS FOR HIS ENEMIES.
THEN the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, called Pretorium; and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and began to salute him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus: him they compelled, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the
[357]days are coming, in the which they shall say, blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps that never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us: and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry.
And there were also two other malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And he bearing his cross went forth, and when they were come to a place called Golgotha, which is called Calvary, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
There they crucified him, and two malefactors with him, one on the right hand, and the other on the left, and Jesus in the midst. Then said Jesus,
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King
of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
And sitting down they watched him there, and set up over his head his accusation. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.