Mark 11
New Living Translation
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
11 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”
4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God![a]
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!
Praise God in highest heaven!”[b]
11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.
Jesus Clears the Temple
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.[c] 17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”[d]
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left[e] the city.
20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.[f]”
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 28 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”
29 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 30 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”
31 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 32 But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. 33 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”
And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Footnotes
- 11:9 Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means “save now”; also in 11:10.
- 11:9-10 Pss 118:25-26; 148:1.
- 11:16 Or from carrying merchandise through the Temple.
- 11:17 Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11.
- 11:19 Greek they left; other manuscripts read he left.
- 11:25 Some manuscripts add verse 26, But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins. Compare Matt 6:15.
Mark 11
English Standard Version
The Triumphal Entry
11 (A)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to (B)Bethphage and Bethany, at (C)the Mount of Olives, Jesus[a] sent (D)two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, (E)on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many (F)spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, (G)“Hosanna! (H)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is (I)the coming (J)kingdom of (K)our father (L)David! (M)Hosanna (N)in the highest!”
11 (O)And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, (P)he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 (Q)On the following day, when they came from Bethany, (R)he was hungry. 13 (S)And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for (T)it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15 (U)And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (V)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (W)pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, (X)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But (Y)you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and (Z)were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because (AA)all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 (AB)And when evening came they[b] went out of the city.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
20 (AC)As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, (AD)“Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have (AE)faith in God. 23 (AF)Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, (AG)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not (AH)doubt in his heart, but (AI)believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, (AJ)whatever you ask in prayer, (AK)believe that you (AL)have received[c] it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever (AM)you stand praying, (AN)forgive, (AO)if you have anything against anyone, so that (AP)your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”[d]
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27 (AQ)And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, (AR)“By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John (AS)from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, (AT)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—(AU)they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was (AV)a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Footnotes
- Mark 11:1 Greek he
- Mark 11:19 Some manuscripts he
- Mark 11:24 Some manuscripts are receiving
- Mark 11:25 Some manuscripts add verse 26: But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
