Matthew 21
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus 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 unto them, Go into the village opposite to you, and immediately all of you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto 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 say ought unto you, all of you shall say, The Lord has need of them; and immediately 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 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
5 Tell all of you the daughter of Sion, Behold, your King comes unto you, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
‘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 went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
They led the donkey and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself on them.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and scattered them in the way.
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 that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that 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 was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
“Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold 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 said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but all of you have made it a den of thieves.
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 blind and the lame 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 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
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 unto him, Hear you what these say? And Jesus says unto them, Yea; have all of you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and infants you 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 he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on you henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (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 marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If all of you have faith, and doubt not, all of you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if all of you shall say unto this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; it shall be done.
“I tell you,” replied Jesus, “if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you were to say to this hill ‘Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!’ it would be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever all of you shall ask in prayer, believing, all of you shall receive.
And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you 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 Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, (logos) which if all of you tell me, I in like wise 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 baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did all of you not then 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 shall say, Of men; we fear the people; 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 they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I 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 think all of you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day 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 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
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 Whether of them two did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus says unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans 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 unto you in the way of righteousness, and all of you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and all of you, when all of you had seen it, repented not afterward, that all of you might 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 another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
“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 fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
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 husbandmen took his servants, and 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 servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
As a last resort he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on 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 they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall 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 unto them, Did all of you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous 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 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
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 whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
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 Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them.
After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
