1Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped.2The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus’ head. Then they put a purple robe on him.3They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, ‘We honour you, king of the Jews!’ And they slapped him in the face.4Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews gathered there, ‘Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’5Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’6As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him.’7The Jewish leaders replied, ‘We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.’8When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid.9He went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him.10‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said. ‘Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.’11Jesus answered, ‘You were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!’13When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat. It was at a place called the Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha.14It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week. ‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews.15But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ ‘Should I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered.
Jesus is nailed to a cross
16Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.17He had to carry his own cross. He went out to a place called the Skull. In the Aramaic language it was called Golgotha.18There they nailed Jesus to the cross. Two other men were crucified with him. One was on each side of him. Jesus was in the middle.19Pilate had a notice prepared. It was fastened to the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.20Many of the Jews read the sign. That’s because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And the sign was written in the Aramaic, Latin and Greek languages.21The chief priests of the Jews argued with Pilate. They said, ‘Do not write “The King of the Jews.” Write that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.’22Pilate answered, ‘I have written what I have written.’23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. All that was left was Jesus’ long, inner robe. It did not have any seams. It was made out of one piece of cloth from top to bottom.24‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s cast lots to see who will get it.’ This happened so that Scripture would come true. It says, ‘They divided up my clothes among them. They cast lots for what I was wearing.’ So that is what the soldiers did. (Ps 22:18)25Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. So did his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.26Jesus saw his mother there. He also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’27He said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.
Jesus dies
28Later, Jesus knew that everything had now been finished. He also knew that what Scripture said must come true. So he said, ‘I am thirsty.’29A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on the stem of a hyssop plant. Then they lifted it up to Jesus’ lips.30After Jesus drank he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and died.31It was Preparation Day. The next day would be a special Sabbath day. The Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath day. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.32The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the other man.33But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. So they did not break his legs.34Instead, one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ side. Right away, blood and water flowed out.35The man who saw it has been a witness about it. And what he has said is true. He knows that he tells the truth. He is a witness so that you also may believe.36These things happened in order that Scripture would come true. It says, ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’ (Ex 12:46; Nu 9:12; Ps 34:20)37Scripture also says, ‘They will look to the one they have pierced.’ (Zec 12:10)
Jesus is buried
38Later Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a follower of Jesus. But he followed Jesus secretly because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. After Pilate gave him permission, Joseph came and took the body away.39Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought some mixed spices that weighed about 35 kilograms.40The two men took Jesus’ body. They wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, along with the spices. That was the way the Jews buried people.41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. A new tomb was there. No one had ever been put in it before.42That day was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was nearby. So they placed Jesus there.
John 19
Nuova Riveduta 2006
from Società Biblica di Ginevra
Gesù coronato di spine
1Allora Pilato prese Gesù e lo fece flagellare.2I soldati, intrecciata una corona di spine, gliela posero sul capo e gli misero addosso un manto di porpora; e si accostavano a lui e dicevano:3«Salve, re dei Giudei!» E lo schiaffeggiavano.4Pilato uscì di nuovo e disse loro: «Ecco, ve lo conduco fuori, affinché sappiate che non trovo in lui nessuna colpa».5Gesù dunque uscì, portando la corona di spine e il manto di porpora. Pilato disse loro: «Ecco l’uomo!»6Come dunque i capi dei sacerdoti e le guardie lo ebbero visto, gridarono: «Crocifiggilo, crocifiggilo!» Pilato disse loro: «Prendetelo voi e crocifiggetelo; perché io non trovo in lui alcuna colpa».7I Giudei gli risposero: «Noi abbiamo una legge, e secondo questa legge egli deve morire, perché si è fatto Figlio di Dio».8Quando Pilato udì questa parola, ebbe ancora più paura;9e rientrato nel pretorio, disse a Gesù: «Di dove sei tu?» Ma Gesù non gli diede alcuna risposta.10Allora Pilato gli disse: «Non mi parli? Non sai che ho il potere di liberarti e il potere di crocifiggerti?»11Gesù {gli} rispose: «Tu non avresti alcuna autorità su di me, se ciò non ti fosse stato dato dall’alto; perciò chi mi ha dato nelle tue mani ha maggior colpa».12Da quel momento Pilato cercava di liberarlo; ma i Giudei gridavano, dicendo: «Se liberi costui non sei amico di Cesare. Chiunque si fa re, si oppone a Cesare».13Pilato dunque, udite queste parole, condusse fuori Gesù e si mise a sedere in tribunale nel luogo detto Lastrico[1], e in ebraico Gabbatà[2].14Era la preparazione della Pasqua, ed era l’ora sesta[3]. Egli disse ai Giudei: «Ecco il vostro re!»15Allora essi gridarono: «Toglilo, toglilo di mezzo, crocifiggilo!» Pilato disse loro: «Crocifiggerò il vostro re?» I capi dei sacerdoti risposero: «Noi non abbiamo altro re che Cesare».16Allora lo consegnò loro perché fosse crocifisso.
La crocifissione di Gesù
17Presero dunque Gesù; e, portando egli stesso la croce, si avviò verso il luogo detto del Teschio, che in ebraico si chiama Golgota,18dove lo crocifissero assieme ad altri due, uno di qua, l’altro di là, e Gesù nel mezzo.19Pilato fece pure un’iscrizione e la pose sulla croce. V’era scritto: «Gesù il Nazareno, il re dei Giudei».20Molti Giudei lessero questa iscrizione, perché il luogo dove Gesù fu crocifisso era vicino alla città; e l’iscrizione era in ebraico, in latino e in greco.21Perciò i capi dei sacerdoti dei Giudei dicevano a Pilato: «Non scrivere: “Il re dei Giudei”; ma che egli ha detto: “Io sono il re dei Giudei”».22Pilato rispose: «Quello che ho scritto, ho scritto».23I soldati dunque, quando ebbero crocifisso Gesù, presero le sue vesti e ne fecero quattro parti, una parte per ciascun soldato, e anche la tunica. La tunica era senza cuciture, tessuta per intero dall’alto in basso.24Dissero dunque tra di loro: «Non stracciamola, ma tiriamo a sorte a chi tocchi»; affinché si adempisse la Scrittura {che dice}: «Hanno spartito fra loro le mie vesti e hanno tirato a sorte la mia tunica»[4]. Questo fecero dunque i soldati.25Presso la croce di Gesù stavano sua madre e la sorella di sua madre, Maria di Cleopa e Maria Maddalena.26Gesù dunque, vedendo sua madre e presso di lei il discepolo che egli amava, disse a sua madre: «Donna, ecco tuo figlio!»27Poi disse al discepolo: «Ecco tua madre!» E da quel momento, il discepolo la prese in casa sua.28Dopo questo, Gesù, sapendo che ogni cosa era già compiuta, affinché si adempisse la Scrittura[5], disse: «Ho sete».29C’era lì un vaso pieno d’aceto; posta dunque una spugna imbevuta d’aceto in cima a un ramo d’issopo, l’accostarono alla sua bocca.30Quando Gesù ebbe preso l’aceto, disse: «È compiuto!» E chinato il capo rese lo spirito.31Allora i Giudei, perché i corpi non rimanessero sulla croce durante il sabato (poiché era la Preparazione[6] e quel sabato era un gran giorno), chiesero a Pilato che fossero loro spezzate le gambe e fossero portati via.32I soldati dunque vennero e spezzarono le gambe al primo, e poi anche all’altro che era crocifisso con lui;33ma giunti a Gesù, lo videro già morto e non gli spezzarono le gambe,34ma uno dei soldati gli forò il costato con una lancia, e subito ne uscì sangue e acqua.35Colui che lo ha visto, ne ha reso testimonianza, e la sua testimonianza è vera; ed egli sa che dice il vero, affinché anche voi crediate.36Poiché questo è avvenuto affinché si adempisse la Scrittura: «Nessun osso di lui sarà spezzato»[7].37E un’altra Scrittura dice: «Volgeranno lo sguardo a colui che hanno trafitto»[8].
Il seppellimento di Gesù
38Dopo queste cose, Giuseppe d’Arimatea, che era discepolo di Gesù, ma in segreto per timore dei Giudei, chiese a Pilato di poter prendere il corpo di Gesù, e Pilato glielo permise. Egli dunque venne e prese il corpo di Gesù.39Nicodemo, quello che in precedenza era andato da Gesù di notte, venne anch’egli, portando una mistura di mirra e d’aloe di circa cento libbre.40Essi dunque presero il corpo di Gesù e lo avvolsero in fasce con gli aromi, secondo il modo di seppellire in uso presso i Giudei.41Nel luogo dove egli era stato crocifisso c’era un giardino, e in quel giardino un sepolcro nuovo, dove nessuno era ancora stato deposto.42Là dunque deposero Gesù, a motivo della Preparazione dei Giudei, perché il sepolcro era vicino.