< Matthew 21 >
1 When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
2 “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.
saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
3 And, if anyone says anything to you, you are to say this – ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 ‘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.”’
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7 They led the donkey and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself on them.
They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
8 The immense crowd of people spread their cloaks in the road, while some cut branches off the trees, and spread them on the road.
A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 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!”
The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 “Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 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,
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
13 and said to them, “Scripture says ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14 While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
15 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,
But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
16 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’?”
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
17 Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
18 The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.
19 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 )
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered. (aiōn )
20 When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21 “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.
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
22 And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
23 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?”
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
24 “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.
“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
25 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?’
What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26 But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for everyone regards John as a prophet.”
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
27 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.
So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28 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.’
But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.
30 Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterward he was sorry and went.
Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
31 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.
Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
32 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.
For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
33 “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.
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
34 When the time for the grape harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
35 But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.
37 As a last resort he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
39 So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “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.”
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
42 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.’
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 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.
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44 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.”
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.
46 yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.