25-30 They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

31-32 The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.

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30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him(A) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah,(B) this king of Israel,(C) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

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