Matthew 21
1 When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
Jesus and his disciples went to Jerusalem. As they were getting close, they came to the village of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples on ahead,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
telling them, “Go into the village. Right there you'll find a donkey tied up with a colt. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
If anyone asks you what you're doing, just tell them, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and they will send them right away.”
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
This was to fulfill what the prophet said:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, and rides a donkey, and a colt, the offspring of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them,
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed.
7 and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.
They brought back the donkey and the colt. They placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
8 A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Many people in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and laid them on the road.
9 The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed were all 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 come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar. “Who is this?” they were asking.
11 The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds replied.
12 Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
Jesus went into the Temple, and threw out all the people buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the chairs of the dove-sellers.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”
He told them, “Scripture says, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you've turned it into a den of thieves.”
14 The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
The blind and the lame came to Jesus in the Temple, and he healed them.
15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,
But when the chief priests and religious teachers saw the wonderful miracles he did, and the children shouting in the Temple, “Hosanna to the son of David,” they were offended. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven't you ever read the Scripture that says, ‘You arranged for children and infants to give you perfect praise’?”
17 He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.
Jesus left them and went out of the city to stay at Bethany.
18 Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
The next morning as he walked back into the city, he was hungry.
19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away. (aiōn g165)
He saw a fig tree at the side of the road, so he went over to it but didn't find any fruit, only leaves. He told the fig tree, “May you never ever produce fruit again!” Immediately the fig tree withered. (aiōn g165)
20 When the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
The disciples were amazed to see this. “How did the fig tree wither so suddenly?” they asked.
21 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “If you really trust in God, and don't doubt him, you could not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even more. If you said to this mountain, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea,’ it would happen!
22 All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
You will receive everything you ask for in prayer, as long as you trust in God.”
23 When he 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? Who gave you this authority?”
Jesus went into the Temple. The chief priests and the ruling elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
“I too will ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “If you give me the answer, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
Where did the baptism of John come from? Was it from heaven, or was it from human beings?” They argued with each other. “If we say ‘it was from heaven,’ then he'll ask us why we didn't believe him.
26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”
But if we say, ‘it was from human beings,’ then the crowd will turn against us, because they all consider John to be a prophet.”
27 They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.” “Then I won't tell you by what authority I'm doing these things,” Jesus replied.
28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
“But what do you think about this illustration? Once there was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son, and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.
The son answered, ‘I won't,’ but afterwards he was sorry for what he said and he did go.
30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.
The man went to the second son, and told him the same thing. He replied, ‘I'll go,’ but he didn't.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.
Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. “I tell you the truth: tax-collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you,” Jesus told them.
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.
“John came to show you the way to live right with God, and you didn't believe him, but the tax-collectors and prostitutes did believe him. Later, when you saw what happened, you still didn't repent and believe him.
33 “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
Here's another illustration. There once was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, made a winepress, and built a watchtower. He rented it to some tenant farmers, and then left to go to a different country.
34 When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.
At harvest time, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect the fruit that belonged to him.
35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
But the farmers attacked his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.
So he sent more servants, but the farmers did the same things to them.
37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
So then he sent his son. ‘They will respect my son,’ he told himself.
38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said amongst themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’
But the farmers, when they saw the son, said to each other, ‘Here's the heir! Come on! Let's kill him so we can take his inheritance!’
39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.
They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
When the vineyard owner returns, what will he do to those farmers?”
41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”
The chief priests and elders said to Jesus, “He will put to death those wicked men in the most awful way, and rent out the vineyard to other farmers who will be sure to give him his fruit at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvellous in our eyes’?
“So haven't you read this in the Scriptures?” Jesus asked them. “‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is wonderful in our eyes.’
43 “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.
That's why I'm telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to a people who produce the right kind of fruit.
44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken, but it will completely crush anyone it falls upon.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his illustrations, they realized he was speaking about them.
46 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.
They wanted him arrested, but they were afraid of what the people would do because the people believed he was a prophet.
