1 A nd when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

They were near Jerusalem and had come to the town of Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two followers on ahead.

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

He said to them, “Go to the town over there. You will find a donkey tied and her young with her. Let them loose and bring them to Me.

3 A nd if any one say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

If anyone says something to you, say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ He will send them at once.”

4 N ow this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

It happened as the early preacher said it would happen, saying,

5 T ell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.

“Say to the people in Jerusalem, ‘See! Your King is coming to you. He is gentle. He is riding on a young donkey.’”

6 A nd the disciples went, and did even as Jesus appointed them,

The followers went and did as Jesus told them.

7 a nd brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments; and he sat thereon.

They brought the donkey and her young one. They put their clothes on the donkey and Jesus sat on them.

8 A nd the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.

Many people put their coats down on the road. Other people cut branches from the trees and put them along the way.

9 A nd the multitudes that went before him, 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.

The people who went in front and those who followed Jesus called out, “Greatest One! The Son of David! Great and honored is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Greatest One in the highest heaven.”

10 A nd when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?

When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the people of the city were troubled. They said, “Who is this?”

11 A nd the multitudes said, This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.

Many people said, “This is Jesus, the One Who speaks for God from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee.” Jesus Stops the Buying and the Selling in the House of God

12 A nd Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of he money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;

Then Jesus went into the house of God and made all those leave who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the men who changed money. He turned over the seats of those who sold doves.

13 a nd he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.

He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house is to be called a house of prayer.’ You have made it a place of robbers.”

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

The blind and those who could not walk came to Jesus in the house of God and He healed them.

15 B ut when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were moved with indignation,

The religious leaders of the Jews and the teachers of the Law saw the great things He did. They heard the children calling in the house of God and saying, “Greatest One! Son of David!” The leaders were very angry.

16 a nd said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise?

They said to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes, have you not read the writings, ‘Even little children and babies will honor Him’?”

17 A nd he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.

Jesus left them and went out of the city to the town of Bethany. He stayed there that night. The Fig Tree Dries Up

18 N ow in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered.

In the morning as He was coming back to the city, He was hungry.

19 A nd seeing a fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only; and he saith unto it, Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away.

He saw a fig tree by the side of the road and went to it. There was nothing on it but leaves. He said to the tree, “No fruit will ever grow on you again.” At once the fig tree dried up.

20 A nd when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away?

The followers saw it and were surprised and wondered. They said, “How did the fig tree dry up so fast?”

21 A nd Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done.

Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you this: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only be able to do what was done to the fig tree. You will also be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here and be thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done.

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

All things you ask for in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.” They Ask Jesus Who Gave Him the Power to Do These Things

23 A nd 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?

Jesus came into the house of God. The religious leaders and the other leaders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching. They said, “By what right and power are You doing these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?”

24 A nd Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things.

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

Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” They thought among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ then He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

26 B ut if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet.

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, because they all think John was one who spoke for God.”

27 A nd they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

They said to Jesus, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things. The Picture-Story of the Two Sons

28 B ut what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.

“What do you think about this? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first son and said, ‘My son, go to my grape-field and work today.’

29 A nd he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went.

He said, ‘I will go.’ But he did not go.

30 A nd he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

The father came to the second son and asked the same thing. The son said, ‘No, I will not go.’ Later he was sorry and went.

31 W hich of the two did the will of his father? They say, 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.

Which one of the two sons did what his father wanted?” They said to Jesus, “The second son.” Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you this: Tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies will get into the holy nation of heaven before you.

32 F or 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 saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.

For John came to you preaching about being right with God. You did not believe him. But tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies did believe him. When you saw this, you were not sorry for your sins and did not turn from them and believe him. The Picture-Story of the Grape-Field

33 H ear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.

“Listen to another picture-story. A man who owned land planted grapes in a field and put a fence around it. He made a place for making wine. He built a tower to look over the grape-field. He let farmers rent it and then he went into another country.

34 A nd when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.

The time came for gathering the grapes. He sent his servants to the farmers to get the grapes.

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

The farmers took his servants and hit one. They killed another and threw stones at another.

36 A gain, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner.

Again he sent other servants. He sent more than the first time. The farmers did the same to those servants.

37 B ut afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

After this he sent his son to them. He said to himself, ‘They will respect my son.’

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

When the farmers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the one who will get everything when the owner dies. Let us kill him and we will get it all.’

39 A nd they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.

They took him and threw him out of the grape-field and killed him.

40 W hen therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

When the owner of the grape-field comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

41 T hey say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

They said to Him, “He will put those bad men to death. Then he will rent the grape-field to other farmers who will give him the grapes when they are ready.”

42 J esus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes?

Jesus said to them, “Have you not read in the Holy Writings, ‘The Stone that was put aside by the workmen has become the most important Stone in the building? The Lord has done this. We think it is great!’

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

I say to you, because of this, the holy nation of God will be taken from you. It will be given to a nation that will give fruit.

44 A nd he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.

Whoever falls on this Stone will be broken. And on the one it falls, it will make him like dust.”

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

When the religious leaders and the proud religious law-keepers heard this picture-story, they knew He spoke of them.

46 A nd when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.

When they tried to put their hands on Him, they were afraid of the many people. The people thought He was One Who spoke for God.