Matthew 21
1 And, when they drew near unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then, Jesus sent forth 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—Be going into the village that is over against you, and, straightway, ye shall find an ass, bound, and a colt with her, —loose them, and lead them unto me.
“Go to the village facing you,” he said, “and you will immediately find a donkey tethered, with a foal by her side; untie her, and lead her here for me.
3 And, if anyone, unto you, say aught, ye shall say—Their Lord, hath, need, —and, straightway, he will send them.
And, if anyone says anything to you, you are to say this – ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
4 But, this, hath come to pass, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken through the prophet, saying:
This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
5 Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo! thy King, is coming unto thee, meek and mounted upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of a toiling ass.
‘Say to the people of Zion – “Your King is coming to you, gentle, and riding on a donkey, and on the foal of a beast of burden.”’
6 And the disciples, went, and did as Jesus directed them;
So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7 and led the ass and the colt, and laid upon them their garments, and he took his seat upon them.
They led the donkey and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself on them.
8 And, the chief multitude, spread their own mantles in the way, and, others, were cutting off young branches from the trees, and spreading 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, they who were going before him and they who were following after, were crying aloud, saying—Hosanna! to the Son of David, Blessed is he that is coming 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 entered into Jerusalem, all the city was startled, saying—Who is this?
When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
11 And, the multitudes, were saying—This, is the prophet Jesus, —He from Nazareth of Galilee.
“Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus entered into the temple, and cast out all who were selling and buying in the temple, —and, the tables of the money-changers, he overthrew, and the seats of them who were selling 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 saith unto them—It is written, My house, a house of prayer, shall be called; but, ye, are making it, A den of robbers!
and said to them, “Scripture says ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
14 And there came unto him blind and lame, in the temple, and he cured them.
While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
15 But the Chief-priests and the Scribes, seeing, the marvels that he wrought, and the boys who were crying aloud in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! were greatly 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 are saying? And, Jesus, saith unto them—Yea: Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, hast thou prepared 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 you have called forth perfect praise’?”
17 And, leaving them behind, he went forth outside the city into Bethany, and spent the night there.
Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
18 And, early, returning into the city, he hungered;
The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
19 and, seeing one fig-tree by the way, he came up to it, and nothing, found he thereon, save leaves only, —and he saith unto it—No more, from thee, let fruit spring forth, unto times age-abiding, —and the fig-tree, instantly withered away. (aiōn g165)
and, noticing a solitary fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it, “Never again will fruit be gathered off you.” And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. (aiōn g165)
20 And the disciples, seeing it, marvelled, saying—How instantly, did the fig-tree wither away.
When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
21 And Jesus, answering, said unto them—Verily, I say unto you, If ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only, this of the fig-tree, shall ye do, —but, even if, unto this mountain, ye shall say, Be lifted up, and be 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, entered, the temple, the Chief-priests and the Elders of the people, came unto him as he was teaching, saying, By what authority, these things, art thou doing? and, who, to thee, gave, this authority?
After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people 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, making answer, Jesus said unto them—I also, will ask, you, one thing, —which if ye tell me, I also, will tell, you, by what authority, these things, I am doing: —
“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 immersion by John, whence was it? Of heaven, or of men? But, they, began to deliberate among themselves, saying—If we say, Of heaven; He will say unto us, Wherefore then did ye not 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 didn’t you believe him?’
26 But, if we say, Of men, we fear the multitude, for, all, as a prophet, are holding John.
But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for everyone regards John as a prophet.”
27 And, making answer to Jesus, they said—We know not. He also, said unto them—Neither do, I, tell, you, by what authority, these things, I am doing.
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 how, to you, doth it seem? A man, had two sons: coming unto the first, he said, Son! go thy way, to-day, be working in the 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 today my son.’
29 And, he, answering, said, I, sir! and went not;
‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
30 And, coming unto the second, he spake, in like manner, —and, he, answering, said, I will not: afterwards, smitten with regret, he went.
Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterward he was sorry and went.
31 Which of the two, did the will of the father? They say, The latter. Jesus saith unto them—Verily, I say unto you, the tax-collectors and the harlots, are going before you, into the kingdom of God;
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?” “The second,” they said. “I tell you,” added Jesus, “that tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came unto you, in a way of righteousness, and ye believed him not, —but, the tax-collectors and the harlots, believed him; and, ye, seeing it, were not even smitten with regret, afterwards, so as to believe him.
For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.
33 Another parable, hear ye: —A man there was, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and, a wall around it, placed, and digged in it a wine-vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, —and left home.
“Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
34 And, when the season of fruits drew near, He sent forth his servants unto the husbandmen to receive his fruits.
When the time for the grape harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
35 And the husbandmen, taking his servants, one, indeed, they beat, and, another, slew, —and, another, stoned.
But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 Again, sent he forth 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 Afterwards, however, he sent forth unto them his son, saying, —They will pay deference unto my son!
As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But, the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves, —This, is, the heir: Come on! Let us slay him, and have 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, taking him, they cast him forth outside the vineyard, —and slew him.
So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the master of the vineyard shall come, 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—Miserable men! Miserably, will he destroy them; and will let out, the vineyard, to other husbandmen, who will render unto 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—Have ye, never, read in the Scriptures, A stone which the builders rejected, the same, hath become, head of the corner: From the Lord, hath this come to pass, and is marvellous in our eyes.
Then Jesus added, “Have you never read in the scriptures? – ‘The stone which the builders despised – has now itself become the cornerstone. This cornerstone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.’
43 Wherefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God, will be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof:
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, he that falleth on this stone, will be sorely bruised; but, on whomsoever it may fall, it will utterly destroy him.]
Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while anyone on whom it falls – it will scatter him as dust.”
45 And the Chief-priests and the Pharisees, hearing his parables, took note, that, concerning them, he was speaking.
After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
46 And, seeking to secure him, they feared the multitudes; since, for a prophet, were they holding him.
yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
