Day 426 of 730

¹Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.

²Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered, "So you say."

³The chief priests accused him of many things.

⁴Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!"

⁵But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.

⁶Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they requested.

⁷There was one called Barabbas, bound with those who had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.

⁸And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he always did for them.

⁹Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"

¹⁰For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.

¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead.

¹²Pilate again asked them, "What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?"

¹³They shouted again, "Crucify him!"

¹⁴Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

¹⁶The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort.

¹⁷They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.

¹⁸They began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

¹⁹They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.

²⁰When they had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.

²¹They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross.

²²They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, "The place of a skull."

²³They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he did not take it.

²⁴Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take.

²⁵It was the third hour, and they crucified him.

²⁶The superscription of his accusation was written over him, "THE KING OF THE JEWS."

²⁷With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. [The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, "He was numbered with transgressors.]

²⁸No text for this verse number in this edition.

²⁹Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days,

³⁰save yourself, and come down from the cross!"

³¹Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, "He saved others. He cannot save himself.

³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him." Those who were crucified with him insulted him.

³³When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

³⁴At the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is, being interpreted, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

³⁵Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah."

³⁶One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Let him be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to take him down."

³⁷Jesus gave a loud cry, and gave up the spirit.

³⁸The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

³⁹When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he died like this and breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

⁴⁰There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jacob the younger and of Joses, and Salome;

⁴¹who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴²When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

⁴³Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for the Kingdom of God, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁴⁴Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long.

⁴⁵When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

⁴⁶He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and placed him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was placed.

¹When the Lord brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.

²Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

³The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.

⁴Restore our fortunes again, Lord, like the streams in the Negev.

⁵Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

⁶He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

¹When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

²put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

³Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.

⁴Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

⁵Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.

⁶Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:

⁷for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

⁸The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.

⁹Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:

¹¹for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

¹⁴Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:

¹⁶yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear the Lord all the day long.

¹⁸Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!

²⁰Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²²Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!

²⁶My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

³¹Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

³²In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

³⁴Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

³⁵"They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I do not feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."