< Matthew 21 >
1 As [we] approached Jerusalem, we came near Bethphage [village], near Olive [Tree] Hill. Jesus said to two [of his] disciples, “Go to the village just ahead of us. As soon as you enter [it], you will see a donkey and her foal that are {someone has} tied [up]. Untie them and bring them [here] to me.
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
saying to them, “Go into the next village, and you will immediately find a donkey tied up there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you [about your doing that], tell [him], ‘The Lord needs them.’ He will [then allow you to] lead them away.”
If anyone says anything to you about that, you will say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and that person will immediately send them with you.”
4 When all this happened, what was written by a prophet {what a prophet wrote about} was fulfilled {happened}. The prophet wrote, “Tell the people who live in Jerusalem [SYN], ‘Look! Your king is coming to you! He will come humbly. He [will show that he is humble, because he will be] riding on a colt, the offspring of a donkey.’”
Now this came about that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled. He said,
“Tell the daughter of Zion, 'See, your King is coming to you, Humble and riding on a donkey— on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”
6 So the [two] disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.
Then the disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them.
7 They brought the donkey and its colt [to Jesus]. They placed their cloaks on them [to make something for him to sit on]. Then Jesus [mounted the colt] and sat on the cloaks.
They brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat upon the cloaks.
8 Then a large crowd spread [some of] their clothing on the road, and other [people] cut off branches from [palm] trees and spread them on the road. [They did those things to decorate the road in order to honor Jesus].
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them in the road.
9 The crowds that walked in front of him and those who walked behind him were shouting things like, “Praise the [Messiah], the descendant of [King] David!” “May the Lord [God] bless [this one] who comes as [God’s] representative and with [God’s] authority [MTY].” “Praise God, who is in the highest [heaven]!”
Then the crowds that went before Jesus and those that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10 As Jesus entered Jerusalem, a crowd of people [MTY] from all [over the city] became excited and were saying, “Why [are they honoring] this man [like that]?”
When Jesus had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred and said, “Who is this?”
11 The crowd [that was already following him] said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 Then Jesus went into the Temple [courtyard] and chased out all of those who were buying and selling things there. He also overturned the tables of those who were giving [Temple tax money in exchange for Roman] coins, and he overturned the seats of those who were selling pigeons [for sacrifices].
Then Jesus entered the temple. He cast out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 Then he said to them, “It is {([Jeremiah/A prophet]) has} written [in the Scriptures that God said], ‘[I want] my house to be called a place where [people] pray’, but you bandits have made it [MET] your hideout!”
He said to them, “It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 After that, [many] blind [people] and lame [people] came to Jesus in the temple [in order that he would heal them], and he healed them.
Then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15 The high priests and the men who taught the people the [Jewish] laws saw the wonderful deeds that Jesus did. [They also saw and] heard the children shouting in the Temple, “We praise the [Messiah], the descendant of [King] David!” The religious leaders were indignant [because they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah].
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things that he did, and when they heard the children shouting in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became very angry.
16 [They thought that Jesus should not be allowing the children to say that], so they asked him, “[How can you tolerate] this [RHQ]? Do you hear what these [children] are shouting?” Then Jesus said to them, “Yes, I [hear them, but] if you [remembered what] you have read [in the Scriptures about children praising me, you would know that God is pleased] [RHQ] [with them]. [The psalmist] wrote, [saying to God], ‘You have taught infants and other children to praise you perfectly.’”
They said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes! But have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of little children and nursing infants you have prepared praise'?”
17 Then Jesus left the city. We [disciples] went [with him] to Bethany [town], and we slept there [that night].
Then Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
18 Early [the next morning], when we were returning to the city, [Jesus] was hungry.
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19 He saw a fig tree near the road. [So he went over to it to pick some figs to eat]. But when he got close, he saw that there were no [figs on the tree]. There were only leaves on it. So [to illustrate how God would punish the nation of Israel], he said to the fig tree, “May you never again produce figs!” As a result, the fig tree withered that night. (aiōn )
Seeing a fig tree along the roadside, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “May there be no fruit from you ever again,” and immediately the fig tree withered. (aiōn )
20 [The next day] when we disciples saw [what had happened to the tree], we marveled, and we said [to Jesus], “(It is astonishing that the fig tree withered so quickly!/How is it that the fig tree dried up so quickly?)” [RHQ]
When the disciples saw it, they marveled and said, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21 Jesus said to us, “Think about this: If you believe [that God has power to do what you ask him to] and you do not doubt [that], you will be able to do [things like what I have] done to this fig tree. You will even be able to do [marvelous deeds like] saying to a nearby hill, ‘Uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea’, and it will happen!
Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to this fig tree, but you will even say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and it will be done.
22 In addition [to that], whenever you ask [God for something] when you pray [to him, if you] believe [that he will give it to you], you will receive [it from him].”
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
23 After that, Jesus went into the Temple [courtyard]. While he was teaching [the people], the chief priests and the elders of the Jewish Council approached him. They asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do what you did [here yesterday] [DOU]?”
When Jesus had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and if you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do these things.
Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 Where did John [the Baptizer] get [his authority to] baptize [those who came to him]? [Did he get it] from God or from people? [MTY/EUP]” The chief priests and elders debated among themselves [about what they should answer]. [They said to each other], “If we say, ‘[It was] [MTY/EUP] from God’, he will say to us, ‘Then (you should have believed his [message]!/why did you not believe [John’s message]?) [RHQ]’
The baptism of John—from where did it come? From heaven or from men?” They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
26 If we say, ‘It was from people’, we are afraid that the crowd [will react violently], because all [the people] believe that John was a prophet [sent by God].”
But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the crowd, because they all view John as a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know [where John got his authority].” Then he said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question], I will not tell you who authorized me to do the things I did [here yesterday].”
Then they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 [Then Jesus said to the chief priests and elders], “Tell me [RHQ] what you think [about what I am about to tell you]. There was a man who had two sons. He went to his older son and said, ‘My son, go and work in my vineyard today!’
But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'
29 But the son said [to his father], ‘I do not want to [go and work in your vineyard today]!’ But later he changed his mind, and he went to the vineyard [and worked].
The son answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went.
30 Then the father approached his younger son and said what he had said to his older son. That son said, ‘Sir, I will [go and work in the vineyard today.’] But he did not go there.
Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. He answered and said, 'I will go, sir,' but he did not go.
31 So which of the man’s two sons did what their father desired?” They answered, “The older son.” Jesus [explained to them what that parable meant] by saying, “Think about this: [It is more likely that other people, including] tax collectors and prostitutes, [whom you think are very sinful], will enter where God rules, than it is that you [Jewish leaders] will enter.
Which of the two sons did his father's will?” They said, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do.
32 I [say this to you] because, even though John [the Baptizer] explained to you how to live righteously, you did not believe his message. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed his [message, and they turned away from their sinful behavior]. In contrast, you, even though you saw what they did, refused to turn away from your sinful behavior, and you did not believe [John’s message].”
For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. But you, even when you saw this, you did not repent afterward and believe him.
33 “Listen to another parable [that I will tell you]. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it. He dug a hole in the ground [inside the fence]. He placed [in the hole] a stone tank to [collect the juice that would be] pressed out of the grapes. He also built a tower [inside that fence that someone would sit in to guard that vineyard]. He arranged for some men [to care for] the vineyard [and to give him some of the grapes in return]. Then he went away to another country.
Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner. He planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a watchtower, and rented it out to vine growers. Then he went into another country.
34 When it was time to harvest the grapes, the landowner sent some of his servants to the men who were taking care of the vineyard to get his share of the grapes [that the vineyard had produced].
When the time of the fruit harvest approached, he sent some servants to the vine growers to get his fruit.
35 But the renters seized the servants. They beat one of them, they killed another one, and [killed] another one of them [by throwing] stones at him.
But the vine growers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned still another.
36 [So the landowner] sent more servants than [he had sent] the first [time]. The renters treated those servants the same way that [they had treated the other servants].
Again, the owner sent other servants, more than the first, but the vine growers treated them in the same way.
37 Later, [knowing this], [the landowner] sent his son to [the renters to get his share of the grapes]. When he sent him, he said [to himself], ‘They will certainly respect my son [and give him some of the grapes].’
After that, the owner sent his own son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
38 But when the renters saw his son [arriving], they said to each other, ‘This is the man who will inherit [this vineyard]! Let’s kill him and divide the property [among ourselves].’
But when the vine growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take over the inheritance.'
39 So they grabbed him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
So they took him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 [Now I ask you], when the landowner returns to his vineyard, what [do you think] he will do to those renters?”
Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine growers?”
41 [The chief priests and elders] replied, “He will thoroughly destroy those wicked [renters]! Then he will rent the vineyard to others. They will give him [his share of] the grapes when they are ripe.”
They said to him, “He will destroy those miserable men in the most severe way, and will then rent out the vineyard to other vine growers, men who will give him his share of crops at the harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “[That is right, so you need to think carefully about these words which] you have read [RHQ] in the Scriptures: The builders rejected a certain stone. [But others put] that same stone [in its proper place, and it] has become the most important stone [of the] building [MET]. The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43 So, [because you reject me], I am going to tell you this: God will no longer let you [Jews] be the people over whom he rules. Instead, he will let [non-Jews] be the people over whom he rules, and they will do [IDM] what he asks them to do.
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation that produces its fruits.
44 [The important stone in the building represents me, the Messiah, and those who reject me are like people who fall on this stone]. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken into pieces {This cornerstone will break into pieces anyone who falls on it}, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 When the chief priests and the [elders who were] Pharisees heard this parable, they realized that he was accusing them [because they did not believe that he was the Messiah].
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood he was speaking about them.
46 They wanted to seize him, but [they did not do so] because they were afraid of what the crowds [would do if they did that], because [the crowds] considered that Jesus was a prophet.
Seeking to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowd, because the people regarded him as a prophet.