Jesus Goes to the Temple^(A)

¹⁵ When Jesus ·returned [came] to Jerusalem, he went into the ·Temple [temple complex; ^Cthe large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and began to ·throw [drive] out those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of ·those who were exchanging different kinds of money [^L the moneychangers], and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [or pigeons; ^Cmoneychangers provided particular coins for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. ¹⁶ Jesus refused to allow anyone to carry goods through the Temple courts. ¹⁷ Then he taught the people, saying, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [^LHouse] will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations’ [Is. 56:7]. But you ·are changing God’s house [^Lhave made it] into a ·‘hideout for robbers’ [^Tden of thieves’; Jer. 7:11].”

¹⁸ The ·leading [^Tchief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] heard all this and began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of him, because all the people were amazed at his teaching. ¹⁹ That evening, Jesus and his ·followers^[a] [disciples] left the city.