CHAPTER LXXIV.
THE TWO THIEVES—JESUS THIRSTS—HE GIVES UP THE GHOST.
AND the people stood beholding. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, that we may see, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother,
Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith he to the disciple,
Behold thy mother!
And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth
for Elias. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith,
I thirst.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,
It is finished.
And the vail of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit!
And having said thus, he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.