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.
When they were come near Jerusalem and had arrived at Bethphage and the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the disciples on in front,
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 to the village you see facing you, and as you enter it you will find a she-ass tied up and a foal with her. Untie her 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.”
And if any one says anything to you, say, 'The Master needs them,' and he will at once send them."
4 This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
This took place in order that the Prophet's prediction might be fulfilled:
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.”’
"Tell the Daughter of Zion, 'See, thy King is coming to thee, gentle, and yet mounted on an ass, even on a colt the foal of a beast of burden.'"
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed 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 she-ass and the foal, and threw their outer garments on them. So He 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.
and most of the crowd kept spreading their garments along the road, while others cut branches from the trees and carpeted the road with them,
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!”
and the multitudes--some of the people preceding Him and some following--sang aloud, "God save the Son of David! Blessings on Him who comes in the Lord's name! God in the highest Heavens save Him!"
10 When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
When He thus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into commotion, every one inquiring, "Who is this?"
11 “Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
"This is Jesus, the Prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee," replied the crowds.
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,
Entering the Temple, Jesus drove out all who were buying and selling there, and overturned the money-changers' tables and the seats of the pigeon-dealers.
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.”
"It is written," He said, "'My House shall be called the House of Prayer', but you are making it a robbers' cave."
14 While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He cured 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 when the High Priests and the Scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done and the children who were crying aloud in the Temple, "God save the Son of David," they were filled with indignation.
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," they asked Him, "what these children are saying?" "Yes," He replied; "have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and of babes at the breast Thou hast brought forth the praise which is due'?"
17 Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
So He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and passed the night there.
18 The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
Early in the morning as He was on His way to return 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 g165)
and seeing a fig-tree on the road-side He went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. "On you," He said, "no fruit shall ever again grow." And immediately the fig-tree withered away. (aiōn g165)
20 When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
When the disciples saw it they exclaimed in astonishment, "How instantaneously the fig-tree has withered away!"
21 “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.
"I solemnly tell you," said Jesus, "that if you have an unwavering faith, you shall not only perform such a miracle as this of the fig-tree, but that even if you say to this mountain, 'Be thou lifted up and hurled into the sea,' it shall be done;
22 And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
and everything, whatever it be, that you ask for in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain."
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?”
He entered the Temple; and while He was teaching, the High Priests and the Elders of the people came to Him and asked Him, "By what authority are you doing these things? 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.
"And I also have a question to ask you," replied Jesus, "and if you answer me, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do 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?’
John's Baptism, whence was it? --had it a heavenly or a human origin?" So they debated the matter among themselves. "If we say 'a heavenly origin,'" they argued, "he will say, '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.”
and if we say 'a human origin' we have the people to fear, for they all hold John to have been 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 Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you," He replied, "by what authority I do 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 give me your judgement. There was a man who had two sons. He came to the elder of them, and said, "'My son, go and work in the vineyard to-day.'
29 ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
"'I will not,' he replied. "But afterwards he was sorry, 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.
He came to the second and spoke in the same manner. His answer was, "'I will go, Sir.' "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 as his father desired?" "The first," they said. "I solemnly tell you,' replied Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God in front of 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 observing all sorts of ritual, and you put no faith in him: the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners did put faith in him, and you, though you saw this example set you, were not even afterwards sorry so as to 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 householder who planted a vineyard, made a fence round it, dug a wine-tank in it, and built a strong lodge; then let the place to vine-dressers, and went abroad.
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 vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes;
35 But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
but the vine-dressers seized the servants, and one they cruelly beat, one they killed, one they pelted with stones.
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 another party of servants more numerous than the first; and these they treated in the same manner.
37 As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
Later still he sent to them his son, saying, "'They will respect my son.'
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 the vine-dressers, when they saw the son, said to one another, "'Here is the heir: come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.'
39 So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
"So they seized him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
When then the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers?"
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 put the wretches to a wretched death," was the reply, "and will entrust the vineyard to other vine-dressers who will render the produce to him at the vintage season."
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.’
"Have you never read in the Scriptures," said Jesus, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone: this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful 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.
"That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.
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 severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."
45 After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
After listening to His parables the High Priests and the Pharisees perceived that He was speaking about them;
46 yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
but though they were eager to lay hands upon Him, they were afraid of the people, for by them He was regarded as a Prophet.
