Mark Chapter 15
Mark Chapter 15 is near the end of the Gospel of Mark, as Chapter 16 is its final chapter with relatively view verses. Like the other chapters, this Chapter 15 helps practice reading to improve one's skills by the superior method of phonics.
Key words practiced in this chapter include:
Phonetic words
Sight words
Chapter 15
In the morning the high priests held an urgent consultations with the elders and scribes, and the full membership of the Sanhedrin, and decided to take Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Pilate asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And in answer He said, "You say that." And the leading priests accused Him of many things, but He did not answer. Pilate asked Him again, "Have You nothing to say? Look at how many accusations they make against You." But Jesus said nothing, and Pilate was shocked as he had never been shocked before in his career.
Now at Passover, Pilate always released one prisoner, chosen by the people. There was one named Barabbas, who was imprisoned because he had rebelled and committed murder in the rebellion. And the crowds cried aloud, begging Pilate to release a prisoner as he always had. So Pilate answered them, saying "Do you wish me to release the King of the Jews?" Since he knew the leading priests had brought Jesus to him out of envy of His popularity. But the leading priests influenced the people to request the release of Barabbas.
So Pilate said to the crowds, "What, then, do you wish me to do to the Man you call the King of the Jews?" And the crowds cried out, "Crucify Him." So Pilate said to them, "Why? What has he done wrong?" And they cried out louder, "Crucify Him!" So Pilate, to keep the people content, released Barabbas to them, and had Jesus scourged and sent to be crucified.
The soldiers then took Him into the garrison barracks (the Praetorium) and summoned the entire garrison. They dressed Him in purple and made a wreath of thorns, which they stuck on His head. They then began to deliver mocking salutes: "Hail, King of the Jews!" They beat His head with a stick and spat on Him, and genuflected in mock worship of Him. After mocking Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, dressed Him in His own clothes, and led Him out to crucify Him.
They forced a man named Simon, a Cyrenian, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was then coming out of the field, to carry His cross. They brought Him to the place called Golgotha, or "Skull Hill." They gave Him grape juice mixed with myrrh to drink, but He refused it.
When they had crucified Him, they divided His clothes among them by gambling for it. They crucified Him on the third hour of the day. The epigram of his accusation was written over His head: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
They also crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and the other on His left. With this deed the Scripture was fulfilled, which said, "And He was counted along with the lawless."
The passersby railed at him, wagging their heads. They said, "Hey, You! You said You could destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. So save Yourself and come down from the cross!" In the same way the leading priests, in a mocking tone, said to themselves with the scribes, "He saved others, but can't save Himself. Let Christ the King of Israel come down now from the cross! Seeing is believing!" And the men being crucified with Him also insulted Him.
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|33
|And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
|When the sixth hour arrived, darkness fell over the whole country until the ninth hour.
|This period lasted from noon to three p.m.
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|34
|And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
|At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (Translation: "My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?")
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|35
|And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
|Some of the bystanders, when they heard it, said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
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|36
|And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
|One of them ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink. Others said, "Leave Him alone. Let's see whether Elijah will come to take Him down."
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|37
|And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
|Jesus shouted something with a loud voice, and breathed his last.
|Literally, "gave up the breath."
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|38
|And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
|Then the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
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|39
|And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
|When the centurion, who stood next to Him, saw Him cry out and heave his death-sigh, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God."
|Here and elsewhere, Mark uses the word κενÏÏ
ÏιÏν, which is "centurion" transliterated into Greek. Luke and the others always use the word εκαÏονÏαÏÏÎ¿Ï (hekatontarchos), literally, "leader of a hundred."
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|40
|There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
|Some women were also watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome.
|This is not the little girl who asked for the head of John the Baptist on a plate! Josephus gives that little girl the name Salome, as well.
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|41
|(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
|These women had followed Him while He was in Galilee, and used to wait on Him. With them were many other women who had followed Him to Jerusalem.
|The Greek phrase is "came up," a reference to Jerusalem's elevation of 800 meters, higher than that of the surrounding countryside.
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|42
|And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
|Now in the evening, because it was preparation time, i.e. the day before the Sabbath,
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|43
|Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
|Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable member of the council, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God, came forward, went in boldly to Pilate, and claimed the body of Jesus.
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|44
|And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
|Pilate was shocked to hear that He was already dead. He called the centurion to ask him whether He was dead already.
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|45
|And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
|When the centurion confirmed it, Pilate gave Joseph permission to take possession of the body.
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|46
|And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
|Joseph then purchased a quality shroud, and carried Jesus off, wrapped Him in the shroud, and laid Him in a tomb cut out of rock, and rolled a stone to cover the entrance of the tomb.
|á¼Ïί: the NASB says "against", but it's a clearer rendition of the original meaning to say "to cover."
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|47
|And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
|Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw the place where He was laid.
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