Chapter 21

And when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethpage, on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them and bring them to me.

And if anyone say anything to you, you shall say that the Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them."

Now this was done that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled,

"Tell the daughter of Sion: Behold, thy king comes to thee, Meek and seated upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."

So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

And they brought the ass and the colt, laid their cloaks on them, and made him sit thereon.

And most of the crowd spread their cloaks upon the road, while others were cutting branches from the trees, and strewing them on the road.

And the crowds that went before him, and those that followed, kept crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! "

And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was thrown into commotion, saying, "Who is this? "

But the crowds kept saying, "This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." Cleansing of the Temple

And Jesus entered the temple of God, and cast out all those who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold the doves.

And he said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of thieves."

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

But the chief priests and the Scribes, seeing the wonderful deeds that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David," were indignant,

and said to him, "Dost thou hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'? "

And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and he stayed there. Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

Now in the morning, on his way back to the city, he felt hungry.

And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he came up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves; and he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from thee henceforward forever!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.

And upon seeing this the disciples marvelled, saying, "How did it come to wither up immediately? "

But Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what I have done to the fig tree, but even if you shall say to this mountain, 'Arise, and hurl thyself into the sea, ' it shall be done.

And all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive." The Authority of Jesus

And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority dost thou do these things? And who gave thee this authority? "

Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you answer me this, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven, or from men?" But they began to argue among themselves, saying,

"If we say, 'From heaven, ' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him? ' But if we say, 'From men, ' we fear the people, for all regard John as a prophet."

And they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." Then he in turn said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. Parable of the Two Sons

"But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in my vineyard. '

But he answered and said, 'I will not'; but afterwards he regretted it and went.

And he came to the other and spoke in the same manner. And this one answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go.

Which of the two did the father's will?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen I say to you, the publicans and harlots are entering the kingdom of God before you.

For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him; whereas you, seeing it, did not even repent afterwards, that you might believe him. Parable of the Vine-dressers

"Hear another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge about it, and dug a wine vat in it, and built a tower; then he let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad.

But when the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his fruits.

And the vine-dressers seized his servants, and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and they did the same to these.

Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son. '

"But the vine-dressers, on seeing the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. '

So they seized him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

When, therefore, the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers? "

They said to him, "He will utterly destroy those evil men, and will let out the vineyard to other vine-dressers, who will render to him the fruits in their season."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, has become the corner stone; By the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'?

Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people yielding its fruits.

And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but upon whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them.

And though they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.