And Caiaphas said, "Ha! thou that savest others, thyself thou canst not save."
"Come down," cried one of the witnesses, "Art thou not the Son of God?"
And Annas said, "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him."
Then cried the hangmen, "What! Don't you hear? Show thy power, mighty king of the Jews," and so the sport went on.
Then Jesus, who all this time had hung motionless and silent, raised slowly and with pain, his head, which had been bowed down, and said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!"
Hearing Jesus speak, the thief who was crucified on his left said unto him, "Hearest thou? If thou be Christ save thyself and us."
But the other thief who was crucified on the right, answered and said, "Dost thou not fear God, seeing that 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." Then turning to Jesus he said, "Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom?"
Then Jesus looked upon him and said, "Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."
"Listen to that," said Caiaphas scornfully, "he speaks as if he had power over the gates of Paradise."
"What," said the rabbi. "Have not his pride and presumption deserted him even as he hangs helpless on the cross?" And they were wroth with Jesus.