Mark 11:12-24

Living Bible

¹² The next morning as they left Bethany, he felt hungry. ¹³ A little way off he noticed a fig tree in full leaf, so he went over to see if he could find any figs on it. But no, there were only leaves, for it was too early in the season for fruit.

¹⁴ Then Jesus said to the tree, “You shall never bear fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵ When they arrived back in Jerusalem, he went to the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers, and knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and stopped everyone from bringing in loads of merchandise.

¹⁷ He told them, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple is to be a place of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of robbers.”

¹⁸ When the chief priests and other Jewish leaders heard what he had done, they began planning how best to get rid of him. Their problem was their fear of riots because the people were so enthusiastic about Jesus’ teaching.

¹⁹ That evening as usual they left the city.

²⁰ Next morning, as the disciples passed the fig tree he had cursed, they saw that it was withered from the roots! ²¹ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Teacher! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

^22-23 In reply Jesus said to the disciples, “If you only have faith in God—this is the absolute truth—you can say to this Mount of Olives, ‘Rise up and fall into the Mediterranean,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and have no doubt! ²⁴ Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you have it; it’s yours!