1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,2saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.3If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.” ’4They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,5some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’6They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.7When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.9Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna![1]’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ (Ps 118:25; Ps 118:26)10‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus curses a fig-tree and clears the temple courts
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.13Seeing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.14Then he said to the tree, ‘May no-one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves,16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.17And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers”. ’ (Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11)18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.19When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[2] went out of the city.20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig-tree withered from the roots.21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig-tree you cursed has withered!’22‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered.23‘Truly[3] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.25-26And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’[4] (Mt 6:15)
The authority of Jesus questioned
27They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.28‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And who gave you authority to do this?’29Jesus replied, ‘I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.30John’s baptism – was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!’31They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will ask, “Then why didn’t you believe him?”32But if we say, “Of human origin” …’ (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)33So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’ Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’
Mark 11
English Standard Version
The Triumphal Entry
1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus[1] sent two of his disciples (Zec 9:9; Zec 14:4; Mt 21:1; Mt 21:17; Mt 24:3; Mt 26:30; Mr 14:13; Lu 19:29; Lu 24:50; Joh 8:1; Joh 11:18; Joh 12:12; Ac 1:12)2and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. (Lu 23:53)3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”6And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.8And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. (2Ki 9:13)9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Ps 118:25; Ps 118:26; Mt 23:39)10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Ps 148:1; Eze 37:24; Mr 11:9; Lu 1:32; Lu 2:14; Ac 2:29)11And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mt 21:10; Mt 21:17; Mr 11:19)
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. (Mt 4:2; Mt 21:18)13And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. (Mr 13:28; Lu 13:6)14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who 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; Mt 21:12; Lu 2:24; Lu 19:45; Joh 2:14)16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.17And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11)18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. (Mt 7:28; Mt 21:46)19And when evening came they[2] went out of the city. (Mr 11:11; Lu 21:37)
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. (Mt 21:19)21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” (Joh 1:38)22And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. (Eph 3:12; Php 3:9)23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. (Ps 46:2; Mt 17:20; Mr 16:17; Joh 14:12; Ro 4:20; Ro 14:23; 1Co 13:2; Jas 1:6; Re 8:8)24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received[3] it, and it will be yours. (Isa 65:24; Mt 6:8; Mt 7:7; Mr 11:23)25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”[4] (Mt 5:23; Mt 6:5; Mt 6:14; Mt 6:15; Mt 7:11; Lu 18:11; Col 3:13)
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, (Mt 21:23; Lu 20:1)28and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” (Ex 2:14; Joh 1:25; Ac 4:7)29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” (Lu 15:18; Lu 15:21; Joh 3:27)31And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ (Mt 21:32; Lu 7:30)32But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. (Mt 11:9; Mt 14:5; Mt 21:46; Joh 5:35)33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”