Matthew 21
1 When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 “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.
saying unto them, Go into the village that is over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me.
3 And, if any one says anything to you, you are to say this — ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
And if any one say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 This happened in fulfilment of these words in the Prophet —
Now this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 ‘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.”’
Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
And the disciples went, and did even as Jesus appointed them,
7 They led the ass and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself upon them.
and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments; and he sat thereon.
8 The immense crowd of people spread their cloaks in the road, while some cut branches off the trees, and spread them on the road.
And the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.
9 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!”
And the multitudes that went before him, 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.
10 When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked —
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?
11 “Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied — “This is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
And the multitudes said, This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
12 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,
And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;
13 and said to them: “Scripture says ‘My House shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.
14 While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 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,
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were moved with indignation,
16 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’?”
and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
17 Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
And he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
18 The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered.
19 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)
And seeing a fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only; and he saith unto it, Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away. (aiōn g165)
20 When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away?
21 “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.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done.
22 And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
23 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?”
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?
24 “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.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 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?’
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?
26 But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for every one regards John as a Prophet.”
But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 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.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 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.’
But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.
29 ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went.
30 Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.
31 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.
Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, 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.
32 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.
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 saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
33 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.
Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.
34 When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.
35 But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner.
37 As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.’
But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.
39 So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 “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.”
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 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.’
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 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.
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 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.”
And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
45 After listening to these parables, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
46 yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.
And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.
