Matthew 21
1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent 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 saying to them, Go into the village over against you, and immediately ye will find an ass tied, and a colt with it; loose [them] and lead [them] to 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 any one say anything to you, ye shall say, The Lord has need of them, and straightway he will send them.
And if any one says anything to you, say, 'The Master needs them,' and he will at once send them."
4 But all this came to pass, that that might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
This took place in order that the Prophet's prediction might be fulfilled:
5 Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, and mounted upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
"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 But the disciples, having gone and done as Jesus had ordered them,
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them:
7 brought the ass and the colt and put their garments upon them, and he sat on them.
they brought the she-ass and the foal, and threw their outer garments on them. So He sat on them;
8 But a very great crowd strewed their own garments on the way, and others kept cutting down branches from the trees and strewing them on the way.
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 And the crowds who went before him and who followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed [be] he who comes in the name of [the] Lord; hosanna in the highest.
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 And as he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this?
When He thus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into commotion, every one inquiring, "Who is this?"
11 And the crowds said, This is Jesus the prophet who is from Nazareth of Galilee.
"This is Jesus, the Prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee," replied the crowds.
12 And Jesus entered into the temple [of God], and cast out all that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those that sold the doves.
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 he says to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made 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 And blind and lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He cured them.
15 And when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders which he wrought, and the children crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to 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, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus says to them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected 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 And leaving them he went forth out of the city to Bethany, and there he passed the night.
So He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and passed the night there.
18 But early in the morning, as he came back into the city, he hungered.
Early in the morning as He was on His way to return to the city He was hungry,
19 And seeing one fig-tree in the way, he came to it and found on it nothing but leaves only. And he says to it, Let there be never more fruit of thee for ever. And the fig-tree was immediately dried 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 And when the disciples saw [it], they wondered, saying, How immediately is the fig-tree dried up!
When the disciples saw it they exclaimed in astonishment, "How instantaneously the fig-tree has withered away!"
21 And Jesus answering said to them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only shall ye do what [is done] to the fig-tree, but even if ye should say to this mountain, Be thou taken away and be thou cast into the sea, it shall come to pass.
"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 all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
and everything, whatever it be, that you ask for in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain."
23 And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him [as he was] teaching, saying, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee 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 And Jesus answering said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things:
"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 The baptism of John, whence was it? of heaven or of men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we should say, Of heaven, he will say to us, Why then have ye not believed 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 should say, Of men, we fear the crowd, for all hold John for 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 And answering Jesus they said, We do not know. He also said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I 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 But what think ye? A man had two children, and coming to the first he said, Child, go to-day, work in [my] vineyard.
"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 And he answering said, I will not; but afterwards repenting himself he went.
"'I will not,' he replied. "But afterwards he was sorry, and went.
30 And coming to the second he said likewise; and he answering said, I [go], sir, and went not.
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 did the will of the father? They say [to him], The first. Jesus says to them, Verily I say unto you that the tax-gatherers and the harlots go 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 John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the tax-gatherers and the harlots believed him; but ye when ye saw [it] repented not yourselves afterwards to 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 Hear another parable: There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and made a fence round it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and left the country.
"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 But when the time of fruit drew near, he sent his bondmen to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.
When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes;
35 And the husbandmen took his bondmen, and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
but the vine-dressers seized the servants, and one they cruelly beat, one they killed, one they pelted with stones.
36 Again he sent other bondmen more than the first, and they did to them in like manner.
Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and these they treated in the same manner.
37 And at last he sent to them his son, saying, They will have respect for my son.
Later still he sent to them his son, saying, "'They will respect my son.'
38 But the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and possess 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 And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.
"So they seized him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what shall he do to those husbandmen?
When then the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers?"
41 They say to him, He will miserably destroy those evil [men], and let out the vineyard to other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
"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 Jesus says to them, Have ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which they that builded rejected, this has become the corner-stone: this is of [the] Lord, and it is wonderful 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 Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation producing the fruits of it.
"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 And he that falls on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
He who falls on this stone will be severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."
45 And the chief priests and the Pharisees, having heard his parables, knew that he spoke about them.
After listening to His parables the High Priests and the Pharisees perceived that He was speaking about them;
46 And seeking to lay hold of him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they held him for 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.
