Mark 11:12-33

Christian Standard Bible

The Barren Fig Tree Is Cursed

¹² The^(A) next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig^(B) tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit^(C) from you again!”^(D) And his disciples^(E) heard it.

Cleansing the Temple

¹⁵ They came to Jerusalem,^(F) and he went into the temple^(G) and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers^(H) and the chairs of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. ¹⁷ He was teaching them: “Is it not written,^(I) My house^(J) will be called a house of prayer^(K) for all nations?^[a] But you have made it a den of thieves!”^[b](L)

¹⁸ The chief priests and the scribes^(M) heard it and started looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid^(N) of him, because the whole crowd was astonished by his teaching.

¹⁹ Whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.

The Barren Fig Tree Is Withered

²⁰ Early^(O) in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. ²¹ Then Peter^(P) remembered and said to him, “Rabbi,^(Q) look! The fig tree that you cursed^(R) has withered.”

²² Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.^{(S) 23} Truly I tell you,^(T) if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt^(U) in his heart, but believes^(V) that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.^{(W) 24} Therefore I tell you, everything you pray^(X) and ask for^(Y)—believe that you have received^[c](Z) it and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand^(AA) praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive^(AB) him, so that your Father^(AC) in heaven^(AD) will also forgive^(AE) you your wrongdoing.”^[d]

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

²⁷ They^(AF) came again to Jerusalem.^(AG) As he was walking in the temple,^(AH) the chief priests, the scribes,^(AI) and the elders^(AJ) came ²⁸ and asked him, “By what authority^(AK) are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things?”

²⁹ Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question;^(AL) then answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was John’s baptism^(AM) from heaven or of human origin? Answer me.”

³¹ They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe^(AN) him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.^{(AO) 33} So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

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