1As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples.2He said to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me.3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away.’4This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,5‘Say to the city of Zion, “See, your king comes to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a donkey’s colt.” ’ (Zec 9:9)6The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.7They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them for Jesus to sit on.8A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ (Ps 118:26)10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, ‘Who is this?’11The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Jesus clears out the temple
12Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves.13He said to them, ‘It is written that the Lord said, “My house will be called a house where people can pray.” But you are making it “a den for robbers.” ’ (Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11)14Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them.15The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple courtyard shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ But when they saw all this, they became angry.16‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ‘Yes’, replied Jesus. ‘Haven’t you ever read about it in Scripture? It says, ‘ “Lord, you have made sure that children and infants praise you.” ’ (Ps 8:2)17Then Jesus left the people and went out of the city to Bethany. He spent the night there.
Jesus makes a fig tree dry up
18Early in the morning, Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry.19He saw a fig tree by the road. He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Right away the tree dried up.20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?’ they asked.21Jesus replied, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, “Go and throw yourself into the sea.” It will be done.22If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.’
The authority of Jesus is questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘Who gave you this authority?’24Jesus replied, ‘I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.25Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from human authority?’ They talked to one another about it. They said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Then why didn’t you believe him?”26But what if we say, “From human authority”? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet.’27So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’ Jesus said, ‘Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.
The story of the two sons
28‘What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”29‘ “I will not,” the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went.30‘Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, “I will, sir.” But he did not go.31‘Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?’ ‘The first’, they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you.32John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.
The story of the tenants
33‘Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place.34When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the tenants. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.35‘But the tenants grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him.36Then the man sent other slaves to the tenants. He sent more than he did the first time. The tenants treated them the same way.37Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.38‘But the tenants saw the son coming. They said to one another, “This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.”39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.40‘When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants?’41‘He will destroy those evil people,’ they replied. ‘Then he will rent the vineyard out to other tenants. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’42Jesus said to them, ‘Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say, ‘ “The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all. The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes”? (Ps 118:22; Ps 118:23)43‘So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit.44Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.’45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ stories. They knew he was talking about them.46So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
Matthew 21
English Standard Version
The Triumphal Entry
1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (Zec 14:4; Mt 24:3; Mt 26:30; Mr 11:1; Mr 14:13; Lu 19:29; Joh 8:1; Joh 12:12; Ac 1:12)2saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”4This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, (Mt 1:22)5“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt,[1] the foal of a beast of burden.’” (Isa 62:11; Zec 9:9; Mt 11:29)6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.8Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. (2Ki 9:13)9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Ps 118:25; Ps 118:26; Ps 148:1; Mt 20:30; Mt 23:39; Lu 2:14; Re 7:10)10And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” (Mr 11:11)11And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Mt 2:23; Mt 21:46; Mr 6:15; Lu 7:16; Lu 9:8; Lu 9:19; Lu 13:33; Lu 24:19; Joh 1:21; Joh 4:19; Joh 6:14; Joh 7:40; Joh 9:17)
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12And Jesus entered the temple[2] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. (Ex 30:13; Le 1:14; Le 5:7; Le 12:8; Mr 11:15; Lu 2:24; Lu 19:45; Joh 2:14)13He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11)14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Mt 11:5; Mt 15:31)15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, (Mt 21:9; Lu 19:39)16and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (Ps 8:2; Mt 11:25; Mt 12:3; Mt 12:5; Mt 19:4; Mt 21:42; Mt 22:31)17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. (Mt 16:4; Mr 11:1; Mr 11:19; Lu 19:29; Lu 21:37; Lu 24:50; Joh 11:18)
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. (Mt 4:2; Mr 11:12; Mr 11:20)19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (Lu 13:6)20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”21And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. (Ps 46:2; Mt 17:20; Joh 14:12; Ac 10:20; Ro 4:20; Ro 14:23; 1Co 13:2; Jas 1:6; Re 8:8)22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Mt 7:7; Mt 21:21)
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Ex 2:14; Mt 26:55; Mr 11:27; Lu 20:1; Joh 1:25; Ac 4:7)24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ (Mt 13:54; Mt 21:32; Lu 7:30; Lu 15:18; Lu 15:21; Joh 3:27)26But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Mt 11:9; Mt 14:5; Mt 21:46; Joh 5:35)27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ (Mt 17:25; Mt 18:12; Mt 20:1; Mt 21:33)29And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. (Mt 21:32; Mt 27:3; Heb 7:21)30And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. (Mt 12:28; Lu 7:29; Lu 7:37)32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Pr 8:20; Mt 3:8; Mt 3:15; Mt 11:18; Mt 21:25; Mt 21:29; Lu 3:12; 2Pe 2:21)
The Parable of the Tenants
33“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. (Ps 80:8; So 8:11; Isa 5:1; Isa 5:2; Mt 21:28; Mt 25:14; Mr 12:1; Mr 13:34; Lu 20:9)34When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[3] to the tenants to get his fruit. (Mt 21:33)35And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. (2Ch 24:19; 2Ch 24:21; 2Ch 36:15; Ne 9:26; Jer 37:15; Jer 38:6; Mt 5:12; Mt 22:6; Mt 23:34; Mt 23:37; Joh 10:31; Ac 7:52; Ac 7:59; 2Co 11:24; 1Th 2:15; Heb 11:36)36Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. (Mt 22:4)37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ (1Ki 21:19; Joh 1:11; Ro 8:17; Heb 1:2)39And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Heb 13:12)40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” (Mt 24:50; Mt 25:19)41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” (Mt 8:11; Mt 21:43; Lu 19:27; Ac 13:46; Ac 18:6; Ac 28:28)42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;[4] this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Ps 118:22; Mt 21:16; Ac 4:11; 1Pe 2:7)43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. (Isa 5:4; Isa 5:7; Mt 3:10; Lu 14:24)44And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”[5] (Isa 8:14; Da 2:34; Da 2:44; Ro 9:32; 1Pe 2:8)45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.46And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. (Mt 21:11; Mt 21:26; Mt 26:4; Mr 11:18; Lu 19:47; Joh 7:25; Joh 7:30; Joh 7:44)