THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK

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

Chapter 15

(Mar 15:1) And forthwith, in the morning, the chief priests with the Elders and the Scribes, and the whole Sanhedrim, held a consultation. And they bound Jesus, and led him away, and delivered him over to Pilate the president.

(Mar 15:2) And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? He replied and said to him: Thou hast said.

(Mar 15:3) And the chief priests accused him of many things.

(Mar 15:4) And Pilate again questioned him, and said to him: Makest thou no reply? See how much they testify against thee!

(Mar 15:5) But Jesus gave no answer; so that Pilate wondered.

(Mar 15:6) And it was his custom, at each festival, to release to them one prisoner, whom they might desire.

(Mar 15:7) And there was one named Bar Abas, who was confined with the movers of sedition, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

(Mar 15:8) And the people clamored, and began to demand, that he should do to them as he was accustomed.

(Mar 15:9) And Pilate answered, and said: Will ye, that I release to you the king of the Jews?

(Mar 15:10) For Pilate knew that the chief priests, from envy, had delivered him up.

(Mar 15:11) But the chief priests further persuaded the multitudes, that Bar Abas should be released to them.

(Mar 15:12) And Pilate said to them: What will ye, therefore, that I do to him whom ye call king of the Jews?

(Mar 15:13) And they again cried out: Crucify him.

(Mar 15:14) And Pilate said to them: But what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more: Crucify him.

(Mar 15:15) And Pilate was willing to gratify the wishes of the multitudes; and he released to them Bar Abas; and, having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to them to be crucified.

(Mar 15:16) And the soldiers led him into the hall which was the Praetorium; and they called together the whole regiment;

(Mar 15:17) and they clothed him in purple, and braided a crown of thorns and put upon him;

(Mar 15:18) and began to salute him with, " Hail, king of the Jews!"

(Mar 15:19) And they smote him on the head with a reed and spit in his face, and bowed upon their knees and worshipped him.

(Mar 15:20) And having mocked him, they divested him of the purple, and clothed him in his own garments, and led him forth to crucify him.

(Mar 15:21) And they compelled a passer-by, Simon the Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming from the fields, to bear his cross.

(Mar 15:22) And they brought him to Golgotha, the place which is interpreted a Skull.

(Mar 15:23) And they gave him to drink wine in which myrrh was mixed; and he would not receive it.

(Mar 15:24) And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments; and cast the lot upon them, what each should take.

(Mar 15:25) And it was the third hour when they crucified him.

(Mar 15:26) And the cause of his death was written in the inscription: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(Mar 15:27) And they crucified with him two robbers, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

(Mar 15:28) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith: He was accounted among the wicked.

(Mar 15:29) And they also that passed by, reviled him; and, nodding their heads, they said: Aha, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days,

(Mar 15:30) rescue thyself, and come down from the cross.

(Mar 15:31) And so also the chief priests, jeering one with another, and the Scribes, said: He gave life to others, his own life he cannot save.

(Mar 15:32) Let Messiah, the king of the Jews, now descend from the cross, that we may see [it] and believe in him. And those also who were crucified with him, derided him.

(Mar 15:33) And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

(Mar 15:34) And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said: Il, Il, lemono shebakthone; that is: My God, my God; why hast thou forsaken me?

(Mar 15:35) And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said: He calleth for Elijah.

(Mar 15:36) And one ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, and tied it on a reed, to offer him drink. And they said: Desist; let us see if Elijah will come to take him down.

(Mar 15:37) And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and expired.

(Mar 15:38) And the curtain of the door of the temple was rent, from the top to the bottom.

(Mar 15:39) And when the centurion, who was standing near him, saw that he so cried and expired, he said: Verily, this was the Son of God.

(Mar 15:40) And there were women looking on, from a distance, Mary Magdalena, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

(Mar 15:41) who, when he was in Galilee adhered to him, and ministered to him; and many other women, who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

(Mar 15:42) And, as it was the eve of preparation, which precedeth the sabbath,

(Mar 15:43) Joseph of Ramath, an honorable counsellor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God, came, and assuming courage, went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

(Mar 15:44) And Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And he called the centurion, and inquired if he had been any time dead.

(Mar 15:45) And when he learned it, he gave his body to Joseph.

(Mar 15:46) And Joseph bought fine linen, and took it down, and wrapped it in the linen, and deposited it in a sepulchre that was hewed in a rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the sepulchre.

(Mar 15:47) And Mary Magdalena and Mary [the mother] of Joses saw where he was laid.