Matthew, 21

1. When they were near Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

1. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2. saying to them, 'Go to the village facing you, and you will at once find a tethered donkey and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me.

3. If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, "The Master needs them and will send them back at once." '

3. And if any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet:

4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5. Say to the daughter of Zion: Look, your king is approaching, humble and riding on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6. So the disciples went and did as Jesus had told them.

6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7. They brought the donkey and the colt, then they laid their cloaks on their backs and he took his seat on them.

7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set [him] thereon.

8. Great crowds of people spread their cloaks on the road, while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in his path.

8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed [them] in the way.

9. The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed were all shouting: Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heavens!

9. And the multitudes that went before, 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. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil as people asked, 'Who is this?'

10. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11. and the crowds answered, 'This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.'

11. And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

12. Jesus then went into the Temple and drove out all those who were selling and buying there; he upset the tables of the money-changers and the seats of the dove-sellers.

12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13. He said to them, 'According to scripture, my house will be called a house of prayer; but you are turning it into a bandits' den.'

13. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14. There were also blind and lame people who came to him in the Temple, and he cured them.

14. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

15. At the sight of the wonderful things he did and of the children shouting, 'Hosanna to the son of David' in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes were indignant and said to him,

15. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

16. 'Do you hear what they are saying?' Jesus answered, 'Yes. Have you never read this: By the mouths of children, babes in arms, you have made sure of praise?'

16. And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

17. With that he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

17. And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

18. As he was returning to the city in the early morning, he felt hungry.

18. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it and found nothing on it but leaves. And he said to it, 'May you never bear fruit again,' and instantly the fig tree withered.

19. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20. The disciples were amazed when they saw it and said, 'How is it that the fig tree withered instantly?'

20. And when the disciples saw [it], they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

21. Jesus answered, 'In truth I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt at all, not only will you do what I have done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be pulled up and thrown into the sea," it will be done.

21. Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

22. And if you have faith, everything you ask for in prayer, you will receive.'

22. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23. He had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?'

23. 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. In reply Jesus said to them, 'And I will ask you a question, just one; if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this.

24. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25. John's baptism: what was its origin, heavenly or human?' And they argued this way among themselves, 'If we say heavenly, he will retort to us, "Then why did you refuse to believe him?";

25. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26. but if we say human, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.'

26. But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27. So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not know.' And he retorted to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'

27. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28. 'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, "My boy, go and work in the vineyard today."

28. But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29. He answered, "I will not go," but afterwards thought better of it and went.

29. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, "Certainly, sir," but did not go.

30. 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 did the father's will?' They said, 'The first.' Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.

31. Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They say unto him, 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 John came to you, showing the way of uprightness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.

32. 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 had seen [it], repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33. 'Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad.

33. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

34. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce.

34. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third.

35. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way.

36. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

37. Finally he sent his son to them thinking, "They will respect my son."

37. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, "This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance."

38. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39. So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

39. And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him].

40. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?'

40. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

41. They answered, 'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.'

41. They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

42. Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it?

42. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

43. 'I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.'

43. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

44.

44. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

45. When they heard his parables, the chief priests and the scribes realised he was speaking about them,

45. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

46. but though they would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on him as a prophet.

46. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.