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 near to Jerusalem and came to Beth'phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent 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 to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.

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

3. If any one says anything to you, you shall say, `The Lord has need of them,' and he will send them immediately."

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

4. This took place to fulfil what 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 the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass."

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

6. The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed 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. they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat 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. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

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 crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes 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 entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

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

11. And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from 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 entered the temple of God 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.

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. He said to them, "It is written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you make it a den of robbers."

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. But 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;

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 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 babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise'?"

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

17. And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

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

18. In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry.

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 seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.

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

20. When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?"

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. And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never 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 cast into the sea,' it will be done.

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

22. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

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 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?"

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. Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also 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 from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say to us, `Why then did you not 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 say, `From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was 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. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell 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. "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.'

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

29. And he answered, `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 went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir,' but did not go.

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. Which 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 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 to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and 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 householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.

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

34. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit;

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

35. and the tenants took his servants and beat one, 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 the same to them.

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

37. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect 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 tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'

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

39. And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

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

40. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

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 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."

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 said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous 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 I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

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

45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about 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 tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.