1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,2saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’4This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:5‘Say to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ’ (Zec 9:9)6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna[1] to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna[2] in the highest heaven!’ (Ps 118:25; Ps 118:26)10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’11The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Jesus at the temple
12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves.13‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘ “My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it “a den of robbers.” ’ (Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11)14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.16‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘ “From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise”[3]?’ (Ps 8:2)17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Jesus curses a fig-tree
18Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.19Seeing 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!’ Immediately the tree withered.20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?’ they asked.21Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig-tree, but also you can say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done.22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’
The authority of Jesus questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And 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.25John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?’ They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Then why didn’t you believe him?”26But if we say, “Of human origin” – we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’27So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’ Then he said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The parable of the two sons
28‘What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”29‘ “I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.30‘Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “I will, sir,” but he did not go.31‘Which of the two did what his father wanted?’ ‘The first,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
The parable of the tenants
33‘Listen to another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall round it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.35‘The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them in the same way.37Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.38‘But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.”39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.40‘Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’41‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’42Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘ “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes”? (Ps 118:22; Ps 118:23)43‘Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’[4]45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he 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)