1 A nd when they came nigh to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, unto the mount of the 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 to them, `Go on to the village over-against you, and immediately ye shall find an ass bound, and a colt with her -- having loosed, bring ye to 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 may say anything to you, ye shall say, that the lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.'

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

4 A nd all this came to pass, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying,

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

5 ` Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo, thy king doth come to thee, meek, and mounted on an ass, and a colt, a foal of a beast of burden.'

“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 having gone and having done as Jesus commanded them,

The followers went and did as Jesus told them.

7 b rought the ass and the colt, and did put on them their garments, and set upon them;

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

8 a nd the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing 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 who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming 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 he having entered into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, 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 Jesus the prophet, who 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 did cast forth all those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers he overturned, and the seats of those selling 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 to them, `It hath been written, My house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did 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 there came to him blind and lame men 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 a nd the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David,' were much displeased;

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 they said to him, `Hearest thou what these say?' And Jesus saith to them, `Yes, did ye never read, that, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou didst prepare 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 having left them, he went forth out of the city to Bethany, and did lodge 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 a nd in the morning turning back to the city, he hungered,

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

19 a nd having seen a certain fig-tree on the way, he came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and he saith to it, `No more from thee may fruit be -- to the age;' and forthwith the fig-tree withered.

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 the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying, `How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?'

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

21 A nd Jesus answering said to them, `Verily I say to you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass;

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 -- as much as ye may ask in the 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 he having come to the temple, there came to him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, `By what authority dost thou do 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 answering said to them, `I will ask you -- I also -- one word, which if ye may tell me, I also 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 were reasoning with themselves, saying, `If we should say, From heaven; he will say to us, Wherefore, 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 a nd if we should 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 answering Jesus they said, `We have not known.' He said to them -- he also -- `Neither do I tell 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 ` And what think ye? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my 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 answering said, `I will not,' but at last, having repented, he went.

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

30 ` And having come to the second, he said in the same manner, and he answering said, I, 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 the father?' They say to him, `The first.' Jesus saith to them, `Verily I say to you, that the tax-gatherers and the harlots do go before you into the reign of God,

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 did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last -- to 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 ` Hear ye another simile: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and did put a hedge round it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad.

“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 ` And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,

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

35 a nd the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.

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

36 ` Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them in the same manner.

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

37 ` And at last 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 a nd the husbandmen having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess 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 having taken him, they cast out of the vineyard, and killed him;

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

40 w henever therefore the lord of the vineyard may come, what will he do to these husbandmen?'

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

41 T hey say to him, `Evil men -- he will evilly destroy them, and the vineyard will give out to other husbandmen, who will give back to 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 to them, `Did ye never read in the Writings, A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner; from the Lord hath this come to pass, and it is wonderful 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 ` Because of this I say to you, that the reign of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit;

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 who is falling on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.'

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

45 A nd the chief priests and the Pharisees having heard his similes, knew that of them he speaketh,

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

46 a nd seeking to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, seeing they were holding him as 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.