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Matthew 21
Expanded Bible
Matthew 21
Expanded Bible
Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a King(A)
21 As Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] ·were coming closer to [approached] Jerusalem, they ·stopped at [L came to] Bethphage ·at [or on] the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his ·followers [disciples] 2 and said to them, “Go to the town ·you can see there [ahead of you; or opposite you]. When you enter it, you will ·quickly [immediately] find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you ·why you are taking the donkeys [L anything], say that ·the Master [the Lord; or its Owner] needs them, and ·he will send them at once [or the Lord will return it soon; see Mark 11:3].”
4 This was to ·bring about [fulfill] what ·the prophet had said [L had been spoken through the prophet]:
5 “Tell ·the people of Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C a metaphor for Israel],
‘[L Look; T Behold,] Your king is coming to you.
He is ·gentle [humble] and ·riding [mounted] on a donkey,
on the colt of a donkey [Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9].’”
6 [So] The ·followers [disciples] went and did what Jesus ·told them to do [instructed; commanded]. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their ·coats [cloaks] on them, ·and Jesus sat on them. 8 ·Many people [A very large crowd; or Most of the crowd] spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The ·people [crowds] were walking ahead of Jesus and ·behind [following] him, shouting,
“·Praise [L Hosanna! C a Hebrew word originally used in praying for help, but by this time a joyful shout of praise to God] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah]!
·God bless [Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26]!
·Praise to God in heaven [L Hosanna in the highest; C either “in highest heaven” or “to the Most High God”]!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was ·filled with excitement [stirred up; in an uproar]. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple(B)
12 Jesus went into the ·Temple [temple complex; C the large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and ·threw [drove] out all the people 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; C moneychangers provided particular coins needed for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. 13 Jesus said to ·all the people there [L them], “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [L House] will be called a house for prayer [Is. 56:7].’ But you are ·changing [making] it into a ·hideout for robbers [T den of thieves; Jer. 7:11].”
14 The blind and ·crippled people [lame] came to Jesus in the Temple [courts; v. 12], and he healed them. 15 [L But when] The ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things and that the children were praising him in the Temple [courts; v. 12], saying, “·Praise [L Hosanna; v. 9] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah; v. 9].” All these things made the priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·very angry [indignant].
16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”
Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ·‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’ [L ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have prepared/created praise’; Ps. 8:2 LXX]?”
17 Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Power of Faith(C)
18 Early the next morning, as Jesus was going back to the city, he became hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Jesus went to it, but ·there were no figs [L he found nothing] on the tree, only leaves [Is. 5:1–7]. So Jesus said to the tree, “·You will [May you] never again have fruit.” The tree immediately ·dried up [withered].
20 When his ·followers [disciples] saw this, they were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree ·dry up [wither] ·so quickly [immediately]?”
21 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘·Go, fall [L Be lifted up and thrown] into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will ·happen [be done]. 22 If you ·believe [have faith], you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority(D)
23 Jesus went to the Temple [courts], and while he was teaching there, the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders of the people came to him. They said, “What authority do you have to do these things? [L And] Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I also will ask you a question. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. 25 Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from ·God [L heaven; C a reverential Jewish way of referring to God] or just from ·other people [human beings]?”
They argued about Jesus’ question, saying, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from ·God [L heaven],’ Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘It was from ·people [human beings],’ we are afraid of what the crowd will do because they all ·believe [think; hold] that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said to them, “Then I won’t tell you what authority I have to do these things.
A Story About Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think about this: A man had two sons. He went to the ·first [elder] son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in ·my [the] vineyard.’ 29 The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son ·changed his mind [regretted/thought better of it] and went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said, ·‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard’ [L the same thing]. The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two sons ·obeyed [L did the will of] his father?”
·The priests and leaders [L They] answered, “The first son.”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes ·will enter [are going into] the kingdom of God ·before you do [ahead of you]. 32 [L For] John came to show you the ·right way to live [the way/path of righteousness]. You did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Even after seeing this, you still refused to ·change your ways [change your mind; repent] and believe him.
The Story of the Evil Farmers(E)
33 “Listen to ·this story [another parable]: There was a ·man who owned [landowner who planted] a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a ·hole [vat; pit] for a winepress and built a tower [C to protect against thieves; see Is. 5:1–7 for the background to this parable]. Then he leased the land to some [C tenant] farmers and left for a trip [C the owner represents God, the farmers are Israel’s religious leaders]. 34 When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent his ·servants [slaves] to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the farmers grabbed the ·servants [slaves], beat one, killed another, and then ·killed a third servant with stones [L stoned a third]. 36 So the man sent some other ·servants [slaves] to the farmers, even more than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to them that they had done before [C the servants represent the prophets God sent to Israel]. 37 ·So [L Finally; Last of all] the man sent his son to the farmers [C the son represents Jesus]. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This son will inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him, and we will get his inheritance!’ 39 Then the farmers grabbed the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 So what will the ·owner [lord] of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?”
41 ·The priests and leaders [L They] said, “He will ·surely kill those evil men [bring those wretches/evil men to a wretched/evil end]. Then he will lease the vineyard to some other farmers who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time [C referring to the sinners who were responding to Jesus’ call for repentance, and eventually to the Gentiles who would be saved].”
42 Jesus said to them, “·Surely you have read [L Haven’t you ever read…?] this in the Scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
became the cornerstone [capstone; keystone; L head of the corner; C the meaning is uncertain, but clearly refers to the most important stone in the building; Jesus is the rejected stone].
The Lord did this,
and it is ·wonderful [amazing; marvelous] ·to us [for us to see; L in our eyes; Ps. 118:22–23].’
43 “·So [For this reason; Therefore] I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to ·people [a nation] who ·do the things God wants in his kingdom [L will produce its fruit]. 44 The person who ·falls on [stumbles over] this stone will be ·broken [shattered], and on whomever that stone falls, that person will be crushed.”[a]
45 When the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Pharisees heard these ·stories [parables], they knew Jesus was talking about them. 46 They ·wanted [were seeking/trying] to arrest him, but they were afraid of the ·people [crowds], because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:44 The … crushed. Some Greek copies do not have verse 44.
Matthew 21
Lexham English Bible
Matthew 21
Lexham English Bible
The Triumphal Entry
21 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village before you, and right away you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them[a] and[b] bring them[c] to me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you will say, ‘The Lord needs them,’[d] and he will send them at once.” 4 Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and[e] on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.’”[f]
6 So the disciples went[g] and did[h] just as Jesus directed them, 7 and[i] brought the donkey and the colt and put their[j] cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 And a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them[k] on the road. 9 And the crowds who went ahead of him and the ones who followed were shouting, saying,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord![l]
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”[m]
10 And when[n] he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee!”
The Cleansing of the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple courts[o] and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves. 13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[p] but you have made it a cave of robbers!”
14 And the blind and the lame came up to him in the temple courts[q] and he healed them. 15 But when[r] the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple courts[s] and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant. 16 And they said to him, “Do you hear what these children[t] are saying?” So Jesus said to them, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise’?”[u] 17 And leaving them, he went outside of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
A Barren Fig Tree Cursed
18 Now early in the morning, as he[v] was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, “May there be no more fruit from you forever,[w] and the fig tree withered at once. 20 And when they[x] saw it,[y] the disciples were astonished, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and[z] said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen! 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you[aa] believe, you will receive.”
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
23 And after[ab] he arrived at the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him while he[ac] was teaching, saying, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 And Jesus answered and[ad] said to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell the answer[ae] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 From where was the baptism of John—from heaven or from men?” And they began to discuss[af] this[ag] among themselves, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, because they all look upon John as a prophet.” 27 And they answered and[ah] said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached[ai] the first and[aj] said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered and[ak] said, ‘I do not want to!’ But later he changed his mind and[al] went. 30 And he approached the second[am] and[an] said the same thing. So he answered and[ao] said, ‘I will, sir,’ and he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his[ap] father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when[aq] you saw it,[ar] you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.
The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a man—a master of a house—who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. 34 And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. 35 And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, one of whom they beat, and one of whom they killed, and one of whom they stoned. 36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first ones, and they did the same thing to them. 37 So finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when[as] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!’ 39 And they seized him and[at] threw him[au] out of the vineyard and killed him.[av] 40 Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” 41 They said to him, “He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
this has become the cornerstone.[aw]
This came about from the Lord,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?[ax]
43 For this reason, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people[ay] who produce its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 45 And when[az] the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them, 46 and although they[ba] wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they looked upon him as a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:2 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:2 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“untie”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:2 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:3 Literally “has need of them”
- Matthew 21:5 Or “even”
- Matthew 21:5 A quotation from Zech 9:9
- Matthew 21:6 Here the participle (“went”) is translated as a finite verb because of English style
- Matthew 21:6 Here the participle (“did”) is translated as a finite verb because of English style
- Matthew 21:7 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participles (“went” and “did” in the previous verse) have been translated as finite verbs
- Matthew 21:7 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 21:8 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:9 A quotation from Ps 118:25–26
- Matthew 21:9 *Here “heaven” is understood
- Matthew 21:10 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“entered”)
- Matthew 21:12 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- Matthew 21:13 A quotation from Isa 56:7
- Matthew 21:14 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- Matthew 21:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:15 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- Matthew 21:16 The word “children” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- Matthew 21:16 A quotation from Ps 8:2
- Matthew 21:18 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was returning”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:19 Literally “to the age”
- Matthew 21:20 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:20 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:21 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:22 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“believe”) which is understood as conditional
- Matthew 21:23 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“arrived”)
- Matthew 21:23 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was teaching”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:24 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:25 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to discuss”)
- Matthew 21:25 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:27 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:28 Some manuscripts have “And he approached”
- Matthew 21:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“changed his mind”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:30 Some manuscripts have “the other”
- Matthew 21:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:31 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 21:32 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:32 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:38 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:39 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“seized”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:39 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:39 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 21:42 Literally “the head of the corner”
- Matthew 21:42 A quotation from Ps 118:22–23
- Matthew 21:43 Or “nation”
- Matthew 21:45 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:46 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“wanted”) which is understood as concessive
Matthew 21
New International Version
Matthew 21
New International Version
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King(A)(B)
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,(C) Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill(D) what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a](E)
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks(F) on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet(J) from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus at the Temple(K)
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying(L) and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers(M) and the benches of those selling doves.(N) 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e](O) but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[f]”(P)
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.(Q) 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,”(R) they were indignant.(S)
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany,(U) where he spent the night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree(V)
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.(W)
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt,(X) not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for(Y) in prayer.”
The Authority of Jesus Questioned(Z)
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority(AA) are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”(AB)
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’(AC)
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors(AD) and the prostitutes(AE) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,(AF) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors(AG) and the prostitutes(AH) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent(AI) and believe him.
The Parable of the Tenants(AJ)
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted(AK) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.(AL) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.(AM) 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants(AN) to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.(AO) 36 Then he sent other servants(AP) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.(AQ) Come, let’s kill him(AR) and take his inheritance.’(AS) 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”(AT) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,(AU) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[h]?(AV)
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you(AW) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[i](AX)
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.(AY)
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:5 Zech. 9:9
- Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
- Matthew 21:9 Psalm 118:25,26
- Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
- Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
- Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11
- Matthew 21:16 Psalm 8:2 (see Septuagint)
- Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
- Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.
Matthew 21
Tree of Life Version
Matthew 21
Tree of Life Version
Baruch Ha-Ba! Blessed Is He Who Comes!
21 Now as they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Yeshua sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village before you. Right away, you’ll find a donkey tied up and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Master needs them.’ And right away he will send them.”
4 This happened to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘See, your King is coming to you,
humble and sitting on a donkey,
a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Yeshua had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and colt and put their clothing on them, and He sat on the clothing. 8 Most of the crowd spread their clothing on the road, and others began cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 The crowds going before Him and those following kept shouting, saying,
“Hoshia-na to Ben-David!
Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hoshia-na in the highest!”[b]
10 When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Yeshua, from Natzeret in the Galilee.”
12 Then Yeshua entered the Temple[c] and drove out all those selling and buying in the Temple. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers[d] and the seats of those selling doves. [e] 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’[f] but you are making it ‘a den of thieves’!”[g]
14 The blind and lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the ruling kohanim and Torah scholars saw the wonders He performed, and the children crying out in the Temple and saying, “Hoshia-na to Ben-David,” they became indignant. 16 And they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Yeshua said to them. “Haven’t you ever read,
‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing toddlers
You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”[h]
17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He spent the night there.
Faith Moves Mountains
18 Now early in the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came up to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree shriveled up at once.
20 When the disciples saw it they were astonished. “How did the fig tree shrivel on the spot?” they asked.
21 Yeshua answered them, “Amen, I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, trusting, you shall receive.”
Questions about Yeshua’s Authority
23 Now when He entered the Temple, the ruling kohanim and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, saying, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?”
24 Yeshua replied to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 John’s immersion, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
They began to dialogue among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, for all hold up John as a prophet.” 27 So answering Yeshua, they said, “We don’t know.”
Then He said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
A Parable about Intentions and Actions
28 “Now what do you think? A man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘I won’t,’ but afterward he had a change of heart and went. 30 The man went to the second son and said the same thing. But he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ and didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of the father?”
“The first,” they said.
Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and even after you saw this, you had no change of heart to believe him.”
Parable of the Vineyard
33 “Listen to another parable. There was a master of a household who planted a vineyard. He put a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower.[i] Then He leased it to some tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 Now when fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 But grabbing his servants, the tenants beat up one, killed another, and stoned still another. 36 Again the master sent other servants, even more than the first, and they did the same thing to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir! Come on, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So grabbing him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore when the master of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those miserable men to a miserable end,” they said to Him, “and will lease the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Yeshua said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures[j]?
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
this has become the chief cornerstone.
This came from Adonai,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.’[k]
43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people producing its fruits. 44 Whoever falls on this stone will be shattered; but the one upon whom it falls, it will crush him.”[l]
45 When the ruling kohanim and Pharisees heard Yeshua’s parables, they realized He was talking about them. 46 Although they were trying to seize Him, they feared the crowds, because they regarded Him as a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:5 Isa. 62:11; Zech. 9:9(9:9 LXX); cf. Gen. 49:10-11.
- Matthew 21:9 cf. Ps. 118:25-26.
- Matthew 21:12 Some mss. add: of God.
- Matthew 21:12 cf. Deut. 14:24-26.
- Matthew 21:13 cf. Lev. 1:14; 5:7; 12:8.
- Matthew 21:13 Isa. 56:7.
- Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11.
- Matthew 21:16 Ps. 8:3(2).
- Matthew 21:33 cf. Isa. 5:1-2.
- Matthew 21:42 Lit. Writings.
- Matthew 21:42 Ps. 118:22-23 (117:22-23 LXX).
- Matthew 21:44 cf. Isa. 28:16; Dan. 2:34, 44-45. Some manuscripts omit verse 44.
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