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17 and he carried his cross to a place known as “The Skull.”[a] In Aramaic this place is called “Golgotha.” 18 There Jesus was nailed to the cross, and on each side of him a man was also nailed to a cross.

19 Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” 20 The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

The place where Jesus was taken wasn't far from the city, and many of the people read the charge against him. 21 So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, “Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.’ ”

22 But Pilate told them, “What is written will not be changed!”

23 After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they divided up his clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was made from a single piece of cloth, and it did not have any seams. 24 (A) The soldiers said to each other, “Let's not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it.” This happened so the Scriptures would come true, which say,

“They divided up my clothes
and gambled
    for my garments.”

The soldiers then did what they had decided.

25 Jesus' mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too.[b] 26 When Jesus saw his mother and his favorite disciple with her, he said to his mother, “This man is now your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is now your mother.” From then on, that disciple took her into his own home.

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Footnotes

  1. 19.17 The Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
  2. 19.25 Jesus' mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too: The Greek text may also be understood to include only three women (“Jesus' mother stood beside the cross with her sister, Mary the mother of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too.”) or merely two women (“Jesus' mother was standing there with her sister Mary of Clopas, that is, Mary Magdalene.”). “Of Clopas” may mean “daughter of” or “mother of.”

17 Carrying his own cross,(A) he went out to the place of the Skull(B) (which in Aramaic(C) is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others(D)—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth,(E) the king of the jews.(F) 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(G) and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”(H)

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled(I) that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”[a](J)

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross(K) of Jesus stood his mother,(L) his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.(M) 26 When Jesus saw his mother(N) there, and the disciple whom he loved(O) standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

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Footnotes

  1. John 19:24 Psalm 22:18
  2. John 19:26 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.