Mark 11
1 When they came near to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany [villages] near Olive [Tree] Hill. Then Jesus [summoned] two of his disciples.
When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead
2 He said to them, “Go to that village just ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey that no one has ever ridden, that has been tied {people have tied} up. Untie it, and then bring it [to me].
and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has sat. Untie it and bring it here.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing that?’, say, [‘Jesus], our Lord, needs [to use] it. He will send it back here [with someone] as soon as [he no longer needs it].’”
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ Then he will immediately send it here.”
4 So [the two disciples] went and they found the young donkey. It was tied close to the door [of a house], which was beside the street. Then they untied it.
So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a door, and they untied it.
5 Some of the [people who were there] said to them, “Why are you untying the donkey?”
But some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 They told them what Jesus had said. So the people permitted them [to take the donkey].
They answered them just as Jesus had instructed, and the people let them go.
7 They brought the donkey to Jesus. [The disciples] put some of their clothes on it [in order to make something for him to sit on].
Then they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road [to honor him as a king]. Others, [in order to honor him], spread along the road branches that they cut from [palm trees] in the fields [beside the road].
Many people spread their garments on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and also spread them on the road.
9 The people who were going in front of him and behind him were all shouting [things like], “Praise God!” “May God bless this one who comes (with his authority/as his representative) [MTY].”
Those who went ahead of him and those who followed were crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 “May you be blessed {May [God] bless you} when you rule [like] our ancestor [King] David ruled!” “Praise God who is in the highest heaven!”
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 He entered Jerusalem [with them], and then he went into the Temple [courtyard]. After he looked around at everything [there], he left [the city] because it was already late [in the afternoon]. He returned to Bethany with the twelve [disciples and slept there].
Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. When he had looked around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve, since the hour was already late.
12 The next day, as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
On the next day, as they went out from Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 He saw from a distance a fig tree with all its leaves, so he went [to it] to see if he could find any [figs] on it. But when he came to it, he found only leaves on it. This was because it was not yet time when [normal fig trees have ripe] figs.
Seeing in the distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 [But to illustrate how God would punish the nation of Israel, ] he said to the tree, “No one shall ever eat from you again [because you will no longer bear figs].” The disciples heard what he said. (aiōn g165)
In response Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from yoʋ again!” And his disciples heard it. (aiōn g165)
15 Jesus and his disciples went [back] to Jerusalem. He entered the Temple [courtyard. He saw people] who were selling and buying [animals for sacrifices. They were spoiling the place of worship]. He chased those people [from the Temple courtyard.] He also overturned the tables of those who were giving Temple tax money in exchange for Roman coins. He overturned the seats of the men who were selling doves [for sacrifices],
Then they came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves,
16 and he would not allow anyone who was carrying anything [to sell] to go through the Temple [area].
and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple courts.
17 Then as he taught those people, he said to them, “It is written {[One of the prophets] wrote} [in the Scriptures that God said], ‘[I want] my house to be called {[people] to call my house} a house where [people from] all nations may pray’, but you bandits have made it [like] a cave where you can hide! ([You know that!/Do you not know that]?) [RHQ]”
Then he began to teach the people, saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
18 The chief priests and the men who taught the [Jewish] laws [later] heard [about what he had done]. So they planned how they might kill him, [but they knew that it would be difficult], because they realized that the crowd was amazed at what he was teaching and they feared [that the people would soon decide that Jesus had more authority over the Temple than they did] (OR, [feared what the people would do if they tried to arrest Jesus]).
When the scribes and the chief priests heard this, they began looking for a way to destroy him, for they were afraid of him, because the entire crowd was astonished at his teaching.
19 That evening, [Jesus and his disciples] left the city [and again slept in Bethany].
And when evening came, he went out of the city.
20 [The next] morning, while they were going along [the road toward Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed] had withered completely.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw that the fig tree had withered from its roots.
21 Peter remembered [what Jesus had said to the fig tree] and he exclaimed to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!”
Then Peter remembered what had happened and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, behold, the fig tree that yoʋ cursed has withered!”
22 Jesus replied, “[You should not be surprised that God did what I asked]! You must trust that God [will do whatever you ask him to do]!
In response Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 [Also] note this: If anyone says to this hill, ‘Be raised up {Rise up} and then be thrown {throw yourself} into the lake!’ and if he does not doubt [that what he asks for will happen], that is, if he believes that what he asks for will happen, [God] will do it for him.
For truly I say to you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, whatever he says will be granted to him.
24 So I tell you, whenever you ask [God] for something when you pray, believe that you will receive it, and, [if you do, God] will do it [for you].
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
25 Now, I [tell you this also]: Whenever you are praying, if you have a grudge against people [because they have harmed you], forgive them, in order that your Father in heaven will [likewise] forgive your sins.”
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your trespasses.
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
27 Jesus and his disciples arrived in the Temple [courtyard] in Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking [there, a group consisting of] chief priests, [some] men who taught the [Jewish] laws, and elders came to him and they said to him,
Again they came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came up to him
28 “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like those you did here yesterday]?”
and said to him, “By what authority are yoʋ doing these things? And who gave yoʋ this authority to do them?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do those things.
Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things:
30 Did God [MTY] or people [authorize] John to baptize [those who came to him]?”
Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven or from men? Answer me.”
31 They debated among themselves [as to what they should answer]. They [said to each other], “If we say that it was God [who authorized] him, he will say to us, ‘Therefore, (you should have believed what John said!/why did you not believe what John said?) [RHQ]’
So they considered it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
32 On the other hand, if we say that it was people [who authorized John, then what will happen to us]?” They were afraid [to say that about where John got his authority, because they knew that] the people [would be very angry with them. They knew that] all the people truly believed that John was a prophet [whom God had sent].
But shall we say, ‘From men’?”—they were afraid of the people, for everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.
33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know [where John got his authority].” Then Jesus said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question, I] will not tell you who authorized me to do those things [here yesterday].”
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” In response Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
