Matthew 21
1 And when they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.
2 saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and straightaway ye will find a donkey tied, and a colt with it. Having loosed them, bring to me.
“Go to the village facing you,” he said, “and you will immediately find a donkey tethered, with a foal by her side; untie her, and lead her here for me.
3 And if any man says anything to you, ye will say, The Lord has need of them, and straightaway he will send them.
And, if anyone says anything to you, you are to say this – ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
4 Now all this came to pass, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, which says,
This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
5 Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King comes to thee, meek, and mounted upon a donkey, and a colt the foal of a pack animal.
‘Say to the people of Zion – “Your King is coming to you, gentle, and riding on a donkey, and on the foal of a beast of burden.”’
6 And the disciples having gone, and having done as Jesus commanded them,
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their garments over them. And he sat upon them.
They led the donkey and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself on them.
8 And the great multitude spread their garments on the road, and others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them on the road.
The immense crowd of people spread their cloaks in the road, while some cut branches off the trees, and spread them on the road.
9 And the multitudes who went ahead and those who followed, cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
The crowds that led the way, as well as those that followed behind, kept shouting, “God save the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God save him from on high!”
10 And when he entered into Jerusalem, all the city was shaken, saying, Who is this?
When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
11 And the multitudes said, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
“Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple. And he overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of those who sold the doves.
Jesus went into the Temple Courts, and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers, and the seats of the pigeon-dealers,
13 And he says to them, It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but ye made it a den of robbers.
and said to them, “Scripture says ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
14 And the lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
15 But when the chief priests and the scholars saw the wonderful things that he did, and the boys crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were indignant,
But, when the chief priests and the teachers of the Law saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the boys who were calling out in the Temple Courts “God save the Son of David!”, they were indignant,
16 and said to him, Do thou hear what these are saying? And Jesus says to them, Yes! Did ye never read, Out of the mouth of children and those who suckle thou have perfected praise?
and said to him, “Do you hear what these boys are saying?” “Yes,” answered Jesus, “but did you never read the words – ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have called forth perfect praise’?”
17 And having left them behind, he went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
18 Now early while returning to the city, he was hungry.
The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
19 And having seen a fig tree, one on the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it, except leaves only. And he says to it, Let fruit no longer be produced from thee into the age. And immediately the fig tree dried out. (aiōn g165)
and, noticing a solitary fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it, “Never again will fruit be gathered off you.” And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. (aiōn g165)
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How did the fig tree dry out immediately?
When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
21 And having answered, Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye will not only do that of the fig tree, but even if ye may say to this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it will happen.
“I tell you,” replied Jesus, “if you have faith, without ever a doubt, you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill ‘Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!’ it would be done.
22 And all things, as many as ye may ask in prayer, believing, ye will receive.
And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
23 And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him while he taught, saying, By what authority do thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?
After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “What authority have you to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 And having answered, Jesus said to them, I also will ask you one word, which if ye tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
“I, too,” said Jesus in reply, “will ask you one question; if you will give me an answer to it, then I, also, will tell you what authority I have to act as I do.
25 The immersion of John, from where was it, from heaven or from men? And they deliberated with themselves, saying, If we should say, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?
It is about John’s baptism. What was its origin? Divine or human?” But they began arguing among themselves, “If we say ‘divine,’ he will say to us ‘Why then didn’t you believe him?’
26 But if we should say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.
But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for everyone regards John as a prophet.”
27 And having answered Jesus, they said, We know not. He said to them, And neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
So the answer they gave Jesus was – “We do not know.” “Then I,” he said, “refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.
28 But what does it seem to you? A man had two children. And having come to the first, he said, Child, go work today in my vineyard.
What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said ‘Go and work in the vineyard today my son.’
29 And having answered, he said, I do not want to, but having repented later, he went.
‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
30 And having come to the second, he said likewise. And having answered, he said, I, sir, and did not go.
Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterward he was sorry and went.
31 Which of the two did the will of the father? They say to him, The first. Jesus says to them, Truly I say to you, that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?” “The second,” they said. “I tell you,” added Jesus, “that tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came to you in a way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. And having seen it, ye did not repent afterward to believe him.
For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.
33 Hear ye another parable. There was a certain man who was a house-ruler, who planted a vineyard, and placed a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and leased it to farmers, and went on a journey.
“Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
34 And when the time of the fruits approached, he sent his bondmen to the farmers to receive his fruits.
When the time for the grape harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
35 And the farmers having taken his bondmen, they beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 Again, he sent other bondmen more than the first, and they did to them in like manner.
A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
37 But finally he sent to them his son, saying, They will be made ashamed by my son.
As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and possess his inheritance.
But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.’
39 And having seized him, they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?
Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 They say to him, Evil men, he will miserably destroy them, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.
“Miserable wretches!” they exclaimed, “he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times.”
42 Jesus says to them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone that those who build rejected, this came to be in the head of the corner. This happened from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Then Jesus added, “Have you never read in the scriptures? – ‘The stone which the builders despised – has now itself become the cornerstone. This cornerstone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.’
43 Because of this I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing the fruits of it.
That, I tell you, is why the kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the kingdom.
44 And he who falls on this stone will be shattered, but on whomever it may fall, it will grind him to dust.
Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while anyone on whom it falls – it will scatter him as dust.”
45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he spoke about them.
After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
46 And when they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him as a prophet.
yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
