光荣进圣城

21 耶稣和门徒离耶路撒冷越来越近了,他们来到橄榄山旁的伯法其。 耶稣派两个门徒进村,并对他们说:“你们到前面的村庄去,就会看见一头母驴拴在那里,旁边还有一头驴驹。你们把它们解开,牵到我这里。 要是有人问起,你们就说,‘主要用它们’,那人会立刻让你们牵来。” 这件事是要应验先知的话:

“要对锡安城[a]说,‘看啊,你的君王来了!祂谦卑地骑着驴,骑着一头驴驹。’”

两个门徒照着耶稣的吩咐去了, 把母驴和驴驹带了回来。他们把自己的衣服盖在驴背上,让耶稣骑上去。 许多人把衣服铺在路上,也有些人砍下树枝铺在路上。 众人前呼后拥,欢呼着说:

“和散那[b]归于大卫的后裔!
奉主名来的当受称颂!
和散那归于至高之处的上帝!”

10 耶稣进耶路撒冷时,全城轰动,说:“这是谁?”

11 众人说:“祂是先知耶稣,来自加利利的拿撒勒。”

洁净圣殿

12 耶稣进入圣殿,赶走里面做买卖的人,又推翻兑换钱币之人的桌子和卖鸽子之人的凳子。

13 耶稣斥责他们说:“圣经上说,‘我的殿必称为祷告的殿。’你们竟把它变成了贼窝。”

14 殿中的瞎子和瘸子都来到耶稣面前,祂便医好了他们。 15 祭司长和律法教师看见祂所行的奇事,又听见小孩子在圣殿里高声喊着:“和散那归于大卫的后裔!”便十分恼怒。 16 他们责问耶稣说:“你听见这些人说的了吗?”

耶稣说:“我听见了。圣经上说,‘你使孩童和婴儿口中发出颂赞’,你们没有读过吗?” 17 然后,祂便离开他们,出城前往伯大尼,在那里住宿。

咒诅无花果树

18 清早,耶稣在回城的途中饿了。 19 祂看见路旁有一棵无花果树,便走过去,却发现除了叶子外什么也没有。

祂对那棵树说:“你将再不会结果子!”那棵树立刻枯萎了。

20 门徒见了就惊奇地问:“这棵树怎么一下子枯萎了?”

21 耶稣回答说:“我实在告诉你们,如果你们有信心、不怀疑,不但能使无花果树枯萎,就算对这座山说,‘从这里挪开,投进大海里!’也照样可以实现。 22 所以,你们祷告时无论求什么,只要有信心,就必定得到。”

质问耶稣的权柄

23 耶稣进了圣殿,正在教导人的时候,祭司长和民间的长老来质问祂:“你凭什么权柄做这些事?谁授权给你了?”

24 耶稣说:“我也要问你们一个问题,你们回答了,我就告诉你们我凭什么权柄做这些事。 25 约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的?从天上来的,还是从人来的?”

他们便彼此议论说:“如果我们说‘是从天上来的’,祂一定会问我们,‘那你们为什么不信他?’ 26 但如果我们说‘是从人来的’,又怕触怒百姓,因为他们相信约翰是个先知。” 27 于是,他们回答耶稣说:“我们不知道。”

耶稣说:“我也不告诉你们我凭什么权柄做这些事。”

两个儿子的比喻

28 耶稣又说:“你们怎样看这件事?某人有两个儿子。他对大儿子说,‘孩子,你今天到葡萄园工作吧!’

29 “大儿子回答说,‘我不去!’但后来他改变了主意,就去了。

30 “那父亲又对小儿子说,‘你今天到葡萄园工作吧!’小儿子回答说,‘好的,父亲。’他答应了,却没有去。

31 “你们认为这两个儿子,到底哪一个服从父亲呢?”

他们回答道:“大儿子。”

耶稣说:“我实在告诉你们,税吏和娼妓要比你们先进上帝的国。 32 因为约翰来指示你们当行的正路,你们不信他,但税吏和娼妓信了。你们亲眼看见了这些事,竟然还是执迷不悟,不肯信他。

恶毒的佃户

33 “你们再听一个比喻。有个园主栽种了一个葡萄园,在园子的四周建造围墙,又在园中挖了一个榨酒池,建了一座瞭望台,然后把葡萄园租给佃户,就出远门了。 34 到了收获的季节,园主派奴仆到佃户那里收果子。 35 但那些佃户却抓住他的奴仆,打伤一个,杀死一个,又用石头打死了一个。 36 于是,园主又派更多的奴仆去,结果也遭到同样的对待。 37 最后,园主派了自己的儿子去,心想,‘他们肯定会尊重我的儿子。’ 38 然而,那些佃户看见园主的儿子来了,就商量说,‘这是园主的继承人。来吧!我们杀掉他,占了他的产业!’ 39 于是,他们抓住他,把他推出园外杀了。 40 那么,当园主回来的时候,他会怎样处置那些佃户呢?”

41 他们说:“他会毫不留情地除掉那些恶人,然后把葡萄园租给其他按时交果子的佃户。”

42 耶稣说:

“‘工匠丢弃的石头已成了房角石。
这是主的作为,在我们看来奇妙莫测。’

你们难道没有读过这段经文吗? 43 所以,我告诉你们,将把上帝的国从你们那里夺去,赐给结果子的人。 44 凡跌在这石头上的人,一定粉身碎骨;这石头落在谁身上,就会把谁砸烂。”

45 祭司长和法利赛人听了耶稣的比喻,明白是针对他们讲的。 46 他们试图逮捕耶稣,但又害怕百姓,因为百姓都认为耶稣是先知。

Footnotes

  1. 21:5 ”希伯来文是“女子”,可能是对锡安的昵称。
  2. 21:9 和散那”原意是“拯救我们”,此处有“赞美”的意思。

21 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

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

15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

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, 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. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill(D) what was spoken through the prophet:

“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)

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks(F) on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”(G)

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c](H)

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”(I)

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,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[g]?”(T)

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

  1. Matthew 21:5 Zech. 9:9
  2. Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
  3. Matthew 21:9 Psalm 118:25,26
  4. Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
  5. Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
  6. Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11
  7. Matthew 21:16 Psalm 8:2 (see Septuagint)
  8. Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
  9. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.

The Triumphal Entry

21 (A)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to (B)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus (C)sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place (D)to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

(E)“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    (F)humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt,[a] the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd (G)spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, (H)“Hosanna to (I)the Son of David! (J)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (K)in the highest!” 10 And (L)when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is (M)the prophet Jesus, (N)from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 (O)And Jesus entered the temple[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (P)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (Q)pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, (R)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but (S)you make it a den of robbers.”

14 (T)And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 (U)But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, (V)“Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; (W)have you never read,

(X)“‘Out of the mouth of (Y)infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”

17 And (Z)leaving them, he (AA)went out of the city to (AB)Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 (AC)In the morning, as he was returning to the city, (AD)he became hungry. 19 (AE)And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, (AF)“Truly, I say to you, (AG)if you have faith and (AH)do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, (AI)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (AJ)whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, (AK)if you have faith.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23 (AL)And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him (AM)as he was teaching, and said, (AN)“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, (AO)from where did it come? (AP)From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, (AQ)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ (AR)we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was (AS)a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 (AT)“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in (AU)the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he (AV)changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (AW)the tax collectors and (AX)the prostitutes go into (AY)the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you (AZ)in the way of righteousness, and (BA)you did not believe him, but (BB)the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward (BC)change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 (BD)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted (BE)a vineyard (BF)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and (BG)leased it to tenants, and (BH)went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[c] to the tenants (BI)to get his fruit. 35 (BJ)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and (BK)stoned another. 36 (BL)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same 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 to themselves, (BM)‘This is the heir. Come, (BN)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and (BO)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 (BP)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, (BQ)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and (BR)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, (BS)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

(BT)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;[d]
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God (BU)will be taken away from you and given to a people (BV)producing its fruits. 44 And (BW)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and (BX)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”[e]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And (BY)although they were seeking to arrest him, (BZ)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be (CA)a prophet.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:5 Or donkey, and on a colt
  2. Matthew 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God
  3. Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
  4. Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
  5. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44

The Triumphal Entry(A)

21 Now (B)when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to [a]Bethphage, at (C)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

[b]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

“Tell(D) the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

(E)So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, (F)laid their clothes on them, [c]and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; (G)others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
(H)‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”

10 (I)And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, (J)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple(K)

12 (L)Then Jesus went into the temple [d]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the (M)money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, (N)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a (O)‘den of thieves.’

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the (P)Son of David!” they were [e]indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

(Q)‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and (R)went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered(S)

18 (T)Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 (U)And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree(V)

20 (W)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, (X)if you have faith and (Y)do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, (Z)but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And (AA)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned(AB)

23 (AC)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and (AD)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The (AE)baptism of (AF)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned 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 (AG)fear the multitude, (AH)for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my (AI)vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, (AJ)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For (AK)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; (AL)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [f]relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers(AM)

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner (AN)who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and (AO)went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 (AP)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his (AQ)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, (AR)‘This is the heir. (AS)Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 (AT)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 (AU)They said to Him, (AV)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, (AW)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will [g]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

(AX)‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, (AY)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And (AZ)whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, (BA)it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they [h]perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they (BB)feared the multitudes, because (BC)they took Him for a prophet.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:1 M Bethsphage
  2. Matthew 21:4 NU omits All
  3. Matthew 21:7 NU and He sat
  4. Matthew 21:12 NU omits of God
  5. Matthew 21:15 angry
  6. Matthew 21:32 regret it
  7. Matthew 21:41 give
  8. Matthew 21:45 knew