1 J esus and His followers were near Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives. They were in the towns of Bethphage and Bethany. Jesus sent two of His followers on ahead.

When they were getting near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent ahead two of His disciples

2 H e said to them, “Go into the town over there. As soon as you get there, you will find a young donkey tied. No man has ever sat on it. Let the donkey loose and bring it here.

And instructed them, Go into the village in front of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied, which has never been ridden by anyone; unfasten it and bring it.

3 I f anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing that?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it. He will send it back again soon.’”

If anyone asks you, Why are you doing this? answer, The Lord needs it, and He will send it back here presently.

4 T he two followers went on their way. They found the young donkey tied by the door where two streets crossed. They took the rope off its neck.

So they went away and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street, and they loosed it.

5 S ome men were standing there. They said to the two followers, “Why are you taking the rope off that young donkey?”

And some who were standing there said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt?

6 T he two followers told them what Jesus had said and the men let them take the donkey.

And they replied as Jesus had directed them, and they allowed them to go.

7 T hey brought it to Jesus and put their coats over it. Jesus sat on the donkey.

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their outer garments upon it, and He sat on it.

8 M any people put their clothes down on the road. Others cut branches off the trees and put them down on the road.

And many spread their garments on the road, and others leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.

9 T hose who went in front and those who followed spoke with loud voices, “Greatest One! Great and honored is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

And those who went before and those who followed cried out '> with a cry of happiness], Hosanna! Praised and blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

10 G reat is the coming holy nation of our father David. It will come in the name of the Lord, Greatest One in the highest heaven.”

Praised and blessed in the name of the Lord is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna (O save us) in the highest!

11 J esus came to Jerusalem and went into the house of God. He looked around at everything. Then He went with the twelve followers to the town of Bethany because it was late. The Fig Tree with No Fruit

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and entered the temple '> enclosure]; and when He had looked around, surveying and observing everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany together with the Twelve.

12 T hey came from Bethany the next morning. Jesus was hungry.

On the day following, when they had come away from Bethany, He was hungry.

13 A long the road He saw a fig tree with leaves on it. He went over to see if it had any fruit. He saw nothing but leaves. It was not the right time for figs.

And seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to see if He could find any on it '> for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come.

14 J esus said to the tree, “Let no one ever again eat fruit from you.” His followers heard Him say it. Jesus Stops the Buying and the Selling in the House of God

And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And His disciples were listening.

15 T hen they came to Jerusalem. Jesus went into the house of God. He began to make the people leave who were selling and buying in the house of God. He turned over the tables of the men who changed money. He turned over the seats of those who sold doves.

And they came to Jerusalem. And He went into the temple '> porches and courts] and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area, and He overturned the '> four-footed] tables of the money changers and the seats of those who dealt in doves;

16 H e would not allow anyone to carry a pot or pan through the house of God.

And He would not permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the temple enclosure.

17 H e taught them saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house is to be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? You have made it a place of robbers.”

And He taught and said to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have turned it into a den of robbers.

18 T he teachers of the Law and the religious leaders of the Jews heard it. They tried to find some way to put Jesus to death. But they were afraid of Him because all the people were surprised and wondered about His teaching.

And the chief priests and the scribes heard and kept seeking some way to destroy Him, for they feared Him, because the entire multitude was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

19 W hen evening came, Jesus and His followers went out of the city. The Fig Tree Dries Up

And when evening came on, He and His disciples, as accustomed, went out of the city.

20 I n the morning they passed by the fig tree. They saw it was dried up from the roots.

In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered away to its roots.

21 P eter remembered what had happened the day before and said to Jesus, “Teacher, see! The fig tree which You spoke to has dried up!”

And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away!

22 J esus said to them, “Have faith in God.

And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God.

23 F or sure, I tell you, a person may say to this mountain, ‘Move from here into the sea.’ And if he does not doubt, but believes that what he says will be done, it will happen.

Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

24 B ecause of this, I say to you, whatever you ask for when you pray, have faith that you will receive it. Then you will get it.

For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will.

25 W hen you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your failings and shortcomings and let them drop.

26 I f you do not forgive them their sins, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”

But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.

27 T hey came again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking around in the house of God. The religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and other leaders came to Him.

And they came again to Jerusalem. And when Jesus was walking about in the '> courts and porches of the] temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him,

28 T hey asked, “How do You have the right and the power to do these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?”

And they kept saying to Him, By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do them?

29 J esus 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.

Jesus told them, I will ask you a question. Answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 W as the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Tell Me.”

Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me.

31 T hey talked among themselves. They said, “If we say from heaven, He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

And they reasoned and argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him?

32 B ut how can we say, ‘From men’?” They were afraid of the people because everyone believed that John was one who spoke for God.

But can we say, From men? For they were afraid of the people, because everybody considered and held John actually to be a prophet.

33 S o they said, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things.”

So they replied to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus said to them, Neither am I going to tell you what authority I have for doing these things.