John 12:12-16

Contemporary English Version

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-40)

¹²The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, ¹³^(A) they took palm branches and went out to greet him.^[a] They shouted,

“Hooray!^[b]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King
of Israel!”

¹⁴Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,

¹⁵^(B) “People of Jerusalem,
don't be afraid!
Your King is now coming,
and he is riding
on a donkey.”

¹⁶At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory,^[c] they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would.

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Footnotes

12.13 took palm branches and went out to greet him: This was one way the people welcomed a famous person.
12.13 Hooray: This translates a word that can mean “please save us.” But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.
12.16 had been given his glory: See the note at 7.39.