Matthew 21
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me.
“Go to the village facing you,” he said, “and you will immediately find an ass tethered, with a foal by her side; untie her, and lead her here for me.
3 And if any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
And, if any one says anything to you, you are to say this — ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
This happened in fulfilment of these words in the Prophet —
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
‘Say to the daughter of Zion — “Behold, thy King is coming to thee, Gentle, and riding on an ass, and on the foal of a beast of burden.”’
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set [him] thereon.
They led the ass and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself upon them.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed [them] in the way.
The immense crowd of people spread their cloaks in the road, while some cut branches off the trees, and spread them on the road.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
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!”
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked —
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
“Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied — “This is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
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,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
and said to them: “Scripture says ‘My House shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
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,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
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 thou hast called forth perfect praise’?”
17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (aiōn g165)
and, noticing a solitary fig tree by the road-side, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it: “Never again shall fruit be gathered off you.” And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. (aiōn g165)
20 And when the disciples saw [it], they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
“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.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation came up to him as he was teaching, and said: “What authority have you to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
“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.
25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
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 did not you believe him?’
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for every one regards John as a Prophet.”
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
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.
28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
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 to-day my son.’
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.
Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?” “The second,” they said. “I tell you,” added Jesus, “that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen [it], repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.’
39 And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him].
So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
“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.”
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Then Jesus added: “Have you never read in the Scriptures? — ‘The very stone which the builders despised — Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, and is marvellous in our eyes.’
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
And 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.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls — it will scatter him as dust.”
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
After listening to these parables, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.
