his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. And after they had mocked him, they took the robe from off him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

And as they went out of the city, they met a man of Cyrene, named Simon; him they compelled to bear his

cross.

And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus, turning unto them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children; for, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs which never bare, and the breasts which never gave suck.' Then will they begin to say to the

mountains, Fall on us;' and to the hills, Cover us;' for, if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" [That is, "If there be such grief among you now, when the Jewish state is green and flourishing, like a young tree, what grief will there be when the state is in decay-when it is like a withered branch or tree, fit only to be hewn down and cast into the fire!"]

And when they were come to Mount Calvary, to a place called Golgotha, (that is to say, the Place of Skulls,) they gave him to drink vinegar, mixed with gall;* but when he had tasted it, he would not drink. Then they crucified him, and two malefactors with him, one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And

This was probably, a stupifying draught, to assuage his pains; but when he found what it was, he would not take it.

when they had nailed him to the cross, they parted his garments, casting lots, so that it was fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, "They parted my garments among them, and for my vesture did they cast lots." And sitting down there, they watched him, and set up over his head his accusation, written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE Jews."

And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it again in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." The chief priests also, with the scribes and elders, mocking him, said, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross; and we will believe him. He

* It would appear from John xix. 23, 24, that

they divided his outer garment or mantle into four parts, and cast lots for his vest or undergarment.

trusted in God; let God then deliver him now, if he will; for he said, 'I am

the Son of God." One of the malefactors also, who were crucified with him, reviled him, saying, "If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss." And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus, therefore, saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved (that is, John) standing by, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold thy son!"

Then said he to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Now from the sixth hour to the ninth, (that is, from twelve at noon till three o'clock in the afternoon,) there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani ?"-that is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Some of those that stood there, when they heard that, said, "He calleth for Elijah."* And immediately one of them ran, and fetched a sponge; and when he had soaked it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, he gave it to him to drink. The rest said, "Let it alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into thy hands I com

* These must have been strangers, who did not understand the dialect then spoken in Jerusalem.