Matthew 21
1 And when they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, 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 on into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey bound, and a colt with her—having loosed, you bring to Me;
“Go to the village facing you,” he said, “and you will immediately find an ass tethered, with a foal by her side; untie her, and lead her here for me.
3 and if anyone may say anything to you, you will say that the LORD has need of them, and immediately He will send them.”
And, if any one says anything to you, you are to say this — ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
4 And all this came to pass, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying,
This happened in fulfilment of these words in the Prophet —
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and mounted on a donkey, and a colt, a foal of a beast of burden.”
‘Say to the daughter of Zion — “Behold, thy King is coming to thee, Gentle, and riding on an ass, 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 brought the donkey and the colt, and put on them their garments, and set [Him] on them;
They led the ass and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself upon them.
8 and the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing 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 who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is He who is coming 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 He having entered 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 multitudes said, “This is Jesus the prophet, who [is] 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 forth all those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers He overturned, and the seats of those selling 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 has been written: My house will be called a house of prayer; but you made it a den of robbers.”
and said to them: “Scripture says ‘My House shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14 And there came to Him blind and lame men 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 the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” were much 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 they said to Him, “Do You hear what these say?” And Jesus says to them, “Yes, did you never read, that, Out of the mouth of babies and sucklings You prepared 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 thou hast called forth perfect praise’?”
17 And having left them, He went forth 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 and in the morning turning back to the city, He hungered,
The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
19 and having seen a certain fig tree on the way, He came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and He says to it, “No more fruit may be from you—throughout the age”; and instantly the fig tree withered. (aiōn g165)
and, noticing a solitary fig tree by the road-side, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it: “Never again shall fruit be gathered off you.” And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. (aiōn g165)
20 And the disciples having seen, wondered, saying, “How did the fig tree instantly wither?”
When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
21 And Jesus answering said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig tree will you do, but even if to this mountain you may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it will come to pass;
“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—as much as you may ask in the prayer, believing, you will receive.”
And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
23 And He having come into the temple, there came to Him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, “By what authority do You do these things? And who gave You this authority?”
After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation 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 answering said to them, “I will ask you—I also—one word, which if you may 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 were reasoning with themselves, saying, “If we should say, From Heaven, He will say to us, Why, then, did you 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 did not you believe him?’
26 And 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 every one regards John as a Prophet.”
27 And answering Jesus they said, “We have not known.” He said to them—He also, “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 And what do you think? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, today be working 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 to-day my son.’
29 And he answering said, I will not, but at last, having regretted, he went.
‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
30 And having come to the second, he said in the same manner, and he answering said, I [go], lord, and did not go;
Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterwards 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 prostitutes go before you into the Kingdom of God,
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?” “The second,” they said. “I tell you,” added Jesus, “that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.
32 for John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, and the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and you, having seen, did not regret at last—to believe him.
For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.
33 Hear another allegory: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug in it a winepress, and built a tower, and gave it out to farmers, and went abroad.
Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
34 And when the season of the fruits came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive the fruits of it,
When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
35 and the farmers having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.
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 to them in the same manner.
A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
37 And at last he sent to them his son, saying, They will respect my son;
As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 and the farmers having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may 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 taken 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 whenever therefore the lord of the vineyard may come, what will he do to these 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 grievously destroy them, and will give out the vineyard to other farmers who will give back to 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 you never read in the Writings: A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner; from the LORD has this come to pass, and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Then Jesus added: “Have you never read in the Scriptures? — ‘The very stone which the builders despised — Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, and is marvellous in our eyes.’
43 Because of this I say to you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit;
And 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 is falling on this stone will be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.”
Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls — it will scatter him as dust.”
45 And the chief priests and the Pharisees having heard His allegories, knew that He speaks of them,
After listening to these parables, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
46 and seeking to lay hold on Him, they feared the multitudes, seeing they were holding Him as a prophet.
yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.
