THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE

THE NEW TESTAMENT
TRANSLATED FROM
THE SYRIAC PESHITO VERSION BY JAMES MURDOCK

Chapter 23

(Luk 23:1) And the whole company of them arose, and carried him before Pilate.

(Luk 23:2) And they began to accuse him, and said: We have found this man seducing our people, and forbidding to pay the capitation money to Caesar, and declaring himself to be king Messiah.

(Luk 23:3) And Pilate interrogated him, and said to him: Art thou king of the Jews ? He said to him: Thou hast said.

(Luk 23:4) And Pilate said to the chief priests and the company: I find no crime upon this man.

(Luk 23:5) And they vociferated, and said: He raiseth disturbance among our people, by teaching in all Judaea, commencing from Galilee, and quite to this place.

(Luk 23:6) And Pilate, when he heard the name Galilee, inquired if the man were a Galilean.

(Luk 23:7) And having learned that he was from under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod; for he was at Jerusalem on those days.

(Luk 23:8) And Herod rejoiced greatly when he saw Jesus, for he had been desirous to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to see some sign from him.

(Luk 23:9) And he asked him many questions; but Jesus gave him no reply.

(Luk 23:10) And the chief priests and Scribes stood up, and accused him vehemently.

(Luk 23:11) And Herod and his warriors contemned him. And when he had mocked him, he clothed him in a purple robe, and sent him to Pilate.

(Luk 23:12) And on that day, Pilate and Herod became friends to each other; for there had previously been enmity between them.

(Luk 23:13) And Pilate called the chief priests and the rulers of the people,

(Luk 23:14) and said to them: Ye have brought this man before me, as a disturber of your people; and lo, I have examined him before you, and I find in the man no crime, among all that ye charge upon him.

(Luk 23:15) Neither yet Herod: for I sent him to him, and lo, nothing deserving death hath been done by him.

(Luk 23:16) I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

(Luk 23:17) For it was a custom, that he should release one at the festival.

(Luk 23:18) And all the company vociferated, and said: Away with this man; and release to us Barabbas.

(Luk 23:19) He was one who had been thrown into prison, on account of a sedition and murder which had occurred in the city.

(Luk 23:20) And Pilate, being disposed to release Jesus, conversed with them again.

(Luk 23:21) But they cried out, and said: Crucify him; crucify him.

(Luk 23:22) And he said to them the third time: But, what evil hath he done? I find no crime in him deserving of death. I will scourge him, therefore, and release him.

(Luk 23:23) But they were urgent, with a loud voice; and demanded of him, that they might crucify him.

(Luk 23:24) And Pilate decreed, that their request be granted.

(Luk 23:25) And he released to them him, who for sedition and murder had been cast into prison, for whom they petitioned; and he delivered up Jesus to their pleasure.

(Luk 23:26) And as they led him away, they seized Simon the Cyrenian, coming from the fields. and laid upon him the cross, to bear [it] after Jesus.

(Luk 23:27) And there followed after him a great multitude of people; and those women [also] who wailed and lamented over him.

(Luk 23:28) And Jesus turned to them, and said to them: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me; but weep rather for yourselves, and for your children.

(Luk 23:29) For lo, the days are coming, in which they will say: Happy the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.

(Luk 23:30) Then will they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us! and to the hills, Cover us!

(Luk 23:31) For if they do these things in a green tree, what will be in the dry ?

(Luk 23:32) And there went along with him two others, malefactors, to be crucified.

(Luk 23:33) And when they came to a certain place which is called a Skull, they crucified him there; and the two malefactors, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

(Luk 23:34) And Jesus said: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they divided his garments, casting a lot upon them.

(Luk 23:35) And the people stood and looked on; and the rulers also derided him, and said: He quickened others; let him quicken himself, if he is the Messiah, the chosen of God.

(Luk 23:36) And the soldiers like wise mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,

(Luk 23:37) and saying to him: If thou art the king of the Jews, quicken thyself.

(Luk 23:38) And there was likewise a superscription over him, written in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(Luk 23:39) And one of the malefactors who were crucified with him, reproached him, and said: If thou art the Messiah, rescue thyself, and rescue us.

(Luk 23:40) But his fellow [Malefactor] rebuked him, said to him: Art thou not afraid even of God, seeing thou art under the same sentence?

(Luk 23:41) And we justly; for we have a retribution according to our deserts, and according to our deeds; but nothing hateful hath been done by him.

(Luk 23:42) And he said to Jesus: My Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom.

(Luk 23:43) Jesus said to him: Verily I say to you, That this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.

(Luk 23:44) And it was about the sixth hour; and darkness was over all the land, until the ninth hour.

(Luk 23:45) And the sun was darkened, and the curtain of the door of the temple was rent through its middle.

(Luk 23:46) And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said: My Father, into thy hand I commit my spirit. Thus he spake, and expired.

(Luk 23:47) And when the centurion saw what occurred, he glorified God and said: Certainly, this was a righteous man.

(Luk 23:48) And all the multitudes who had assembled at this spectacle, on seeing what occurred, returned, smiting upon their breasts.

(Luk 23:49) And there were standing at a distance, all they that knew Jesus, and those women who came with him from Galilee; and they beheld these things.

(Luk 23:50) And there was a certain man, whose name was Joseph, a counsellor, from Ramath a city of Judaea, who was a good man and righteous;

(Luk 23:51) and he had not consented to their decision and deed; and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

(Luk 23:52) This man went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

(Luk 23:53) And he took it down, and wrapped it in a winding-sheet of linen; and laid it in an excavated sepulchre, in which no one had hitherto been laid.

(Luk 23:54) And it was the day of preparation, and the sabbath began to dawn.

(Luk 23:55) And those women who came with him from Galilee, approached, and viewed the sepulchre, and the manner in which the body was deposited.

(Luk 23:56) And they returned, and prepared perfumes and aromatics; and they rested on the sabbath, as it is commanded.