Luke 23 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Before Pilate

(Mat 27:1, 2, 11–14; Mar 15:1–5; Jhn 18:28–38 )

Luk 23:1Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.

Luk 23:2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Luk 23:3

Luk 23:3And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”

Luk 23:4

Luk 23:4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”

Luk 23:5

Luk 23:5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

Luk 23:6

Luk 23:6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

Luk 23:7

Luk 23:7And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

Luk 23:8

Luk 23:8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.

Luk 23:9

Luk 23:9So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.

Luk 23:10

Luk 23:10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.

Luk 23:11

Luk 23:11And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

Luk 23:12

Luk 23:12And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

(Mat 27:15–26; Mar 15:6–15; Jhn 18:38—19:16 )

Luk 23:13

Luk 23:13Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

Luk 23:14

Luk 23:14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.

Luk 23:15

Luk 23:15Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.

Luk 23:16

Luk 23:16I will therefore punish and release him.”[fn]

Luk 23:17

Luk 23:17 See Footnote

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

Luk 23:18

Luk 23:18But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—

Luk 23:19

Luk 23:19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.

Luk 23:20

Luk 23:20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,

Luk 23:21

Luk 23:21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”

Luk 23:22

Luk 23:22A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”

Luk 23:23

Luk 23:23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

Luk 23:24

Luk 23:24So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Luk 23:25

Luk 23:25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

(Mat 27:32–44; Mar 15:21–32; Jhn 19:17–24 )

Luk 23:26

Luk 23:26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

Luk 23:27

Luk 23:27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.

Luk 23:28

Luk 23:28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Luk 23:29

Luk 23:29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’

Luk 23:30

Luk 23:30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’

Luk 23:31

Luk 23:31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Luk 23:32

Luk 23:32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.

Luk 23:33

Luk 23:33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Luk 23:34

Luk 23:34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[fn] And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Luk 23:35

Luk 23:35And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

Luk 23:36

Luk 23:36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine

Luk 23:37

Luk 23:37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

Luk 23:38

Luk 23:38There was also an inscription over him,[fn] “This is the King of the Jews.”

Luk 23:39

Luk 23:39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[fn] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Luk 23:40

Luk 23:40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

Luk 23:41

Luk 23:41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Luk 23:42

Luk 23:42And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Luk 23:43

Luk 23:43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

(Mat 27:45–56; Mar 15:33–41; Jhn 19:25–30 )

Luk 23:44

Luk 23:44It was now about the sixth hour,[fn] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[fn]

Luk 23:45

Luk 23:45while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Luk 23:46

Luk 23:46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Luk 23:47

Luk 23:47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

Luk 23:48

Luk 23:48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

Luk 23:49

Luk 23:49And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

(Mat 27:57–61; Mar 15:42–47; Jhn 19:38–42 )

Luk 23:50

Luk 23:50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,

Luk 23:51

Luk 23:51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

Luk 23:52

Luk 23:52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Luk 23:53

Luk 23:53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.

Luk 23:54

Luk 23:54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.[fn]

Luk 23:55

Luk 23:55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

Luk 23:56

Luk 23:56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(23:16)

Here, or after verse 19, some manuscripts add verse 17: Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival

(23:34)

Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus… what they do

(23:38)

Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew

Or blasphemed him

That is, noon

That is, 3 p.m.

Greek was dawning

BLB Footnotes

(23:17)

Some Greek manuscripts exclude this verse. The ESV related footnote for 23:16 states:
Here, or after verse 19, some manuscripts add verse 17: Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

Luke Chapter 23 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Morphological Greek New Testament Textus Receptus Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras