< Mark 11 >
1 When they came near to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany [villages] near Olive [Tree] Hill. Then Jesus [summoned] two of his disciples.
2 He said to them, “Go to that village just ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey that no one has ever ridden, that has been tied {people have tied} up. Untie it, and then bring it [to me].
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing that?’, say, [‘Jesus], our Lord, needs [to use] it. He will send it back here [with someone] as soon as [he no longer needs it].’”
4 So [the two disciples] went and they found the young donkey. It was tied close to the door [of a house], which was beside the street. Then they untied it.
5 Some of the [people who were there] said to them, “Why are you untying the donkey?”
6 They told them what Jesus had said. So the people permitted them [to take the donkey].
7 They brought the donkey to Jesus. [The disciples] put some of their clothes on it [in order to make something for him to sit on].
8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road [to honor him as a king]. Others, [in order to honor him], spread along the road branches that they cut from [palm trees] in the fields [beside the road].
9 The people who were going in front of him and behind him were all shouting [things like], “Praise God!” “May God bless this one who comes (with his authority/as his representative) [MTY].”
10 “May you be blessed {May [God] bless you} when you rule [like] our ancestor [King] David ruled!” “Praise God who is in the highest heaven!”
11 He entered Jerusalem [with them], and then he went into the Temple [courtyard]. After he looked around at everything [there], he left [the city] because it was already late [in the afternoon]. He returned to Bethany with the twelve [disciples and slept there].
12 The next day, as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 He saw from a distance a fig tree with all its leaves, so he went [to it] to see if he could find any [figs] on it. But when he came to it, he found only leaves on it. This was because it was not yet time when [normal fig trees have ripe] figs.
14 [But to illustrate how God would punish the nation of Israel, ] he said to the tree, “No one shall ever eat from you again [because you will no longer bear figs].” The disciples heard what he said. (aiōn )
15 Jesus and his disciples went [back] to Jerusalem. He entered the Temple [courtyard. He saw people] who were selling and buying [animals for sacrifices. They were spoiling the place of worship]. He chased those people [from the Temple courtyard.] He also overturned the tables of those who were giving Temple tax money in exchange for Roman coins. He overturned the seats of the men who were selling doves [for sacrifices],
16 and he would not allow anyone who was carrying anything [to sell] to go through the Temple [area].
17 Then as he taught those people, he said to them, “It is written {[One of the prophets] wrote} [in the Scriptures that God said], ‘[I want] my house to be called {[people] to call my house} a house where [people from] all nations may pray’, but you bandits have made it [like] a cave where you can hide! ([You know that!/Do you not know that]?) [RHQ]”
18 The chief priests and the men who taught the [Jewish] laws [later] heard [about what he had done]. So they planned how they might kill him, [but they knew that it would be difficult], because they realized that the crowd was amazed at what he was teaching and they feared [that the people would soon decide that Jesus had more authority over the Temple than they did] (OR, [feared what the people would do if they tried to arrest Jesus]).
19 That evening, [Jesus and his disciples] left the city [and again slept in Bethany].
20 [The next] morning, while they were going along [the road toward Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed] had withered completely.
21 Peter remembered [what Jesus had said to the fig tree] and he exclaimed to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!”
22 Jesus replied, “[You should not be surprised that God did what I asked]! You must trust that God [will do whatever you ask him to do]!
23 [Also] note this: If anyone says to this hill, ‘Be raised up {Rise up} and then be thrown {throw yourself} into the lake!’ and if he does not doubt [that what he asks for will happen], that is, if he believes that what he asks for will happen, [God] will do it for him.
24 So I tell you, whenever you ask [God] for something when you pray, believe that you will receive it, and, [if you do, God] will do it [for you].
25 Now, I [tell you this also]: Whenever you are praying, if you have a grudge against people [because they have harmed you], forgive them, in order that your Father in heaven will [likewise] forgive your sins.”
26
27 Jesus and his disciples arrived in the Temple [courtyard] in Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking [there, a group consisting of] chief priests, [some] men who taught the [Jewish] laws, and elders came to him and they said to him,
28 “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like those you did here yesterday]?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do those things.
30 Did God [MTY] or people [authorize] John to baptize [those who came to him]?”
31 They debated among themselves [as to what they should answer]. They [said to each other], “If we say that it was God [who authorized] him, he will say to us, ‘Therefore, (you should have believed what John said!/why did you not believe what John said?) [RHQ]’
32 On the other hand, if we say that it was people [who authorized John, then what will happen to us]?” They were afraid [to say that about where John got his authority, because they knew that] the people [would be very angry with them. They knew that] all the people truly believed that John was a prophet [whom God had sent].
33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know [where John got his authority].” Then Jesus said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question, I] will not tell you who authorized me to do those things [here yesterday].”
