Mark 11:20-13:37

Christian Standard Bible

The Barren Fig Tree Is Withered

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

²² Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.^{(E) 23} Truly I tell you,^(F) if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt^(G) in his heart, but believes^(H) that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.^{(I) 24} Therefore I tell you, everything you pray^(J) and ask for^(K)—believe that you have received^[a](L) it and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand^(M) praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive^(N) him, so that your Father^(O) in heaven^(P) will also forgive^(Q) you your wrongdoing.”^[b]

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

²⁷ They^(R) came again to Jerusalem.^(S) As he was walking in the temple,^(T) the chief priests, the scribes,^(U) and the elders^(V) came ²⁸ and asked him, “By what authority^(W) 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;^(X) then answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was John’s baptism^(Y) 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^(Z) him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.^{(AA) 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.”

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

12 He^(AB) began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard,^(AC) put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. ² At harvest time he sent^(AD) a servant^(AE) to the farmers to collect some of the fruit^(AF) of the vineyard from them. ³ But they took him, beat^(AG) him, and sent him away empty-handed.^{(AH) 4} Again he sent another servant to them, and they^[c] hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.^{[d] 5} Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. ⁶ He still had one to send, a beloved^(AI) son. Finally^(AJ) he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What then will the owner^[e](AK) of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read this Scripture:^(AL)

¹² They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.

God and Caesar

¹³ Then^(AP) they sent some of the Pharisees^(AQ) and the Herodians^(AR) to Jesus to trap him in his words.^{(AS) 14} When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality^(AT) but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes^(AU) to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

¹⁵ But knowing their hypocrisy,^(AV) he said to them, “Why are you testing^(AW) me? Bring me a denarius^[g](AX) to look at.” ¹⁶ They brought a coin. “Whose image^(AY) and inscription^(AZ) is this?” he asked them.

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”^(BA) And they were utterly amazed^(BB) at him.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

¹⁸ Sadducees,^(BC) who say there is no resurrection,^(BD) came to him and questioned him: ¹⁹ “Teacher,^(BE) Moses^(BF) wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child,^(BG) that man should take the wife^(BH) and raise up offspring for his brother.^{[h](BI) 20} There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. ²¹ The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. ²² None of the seven^[i] left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise,^[j] whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”

²⁴ Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures^(BJ) or the power^(BK) of God?^{(BL) 25} For when they rise^(BM) from the dead,^(BN) they neither marry nor are given in marriage^(BO) but are like angels^(BP) in heaven. ²⁶ And as for the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I^(BQ) am the God of Abraham^(BR) and the God of Isaac^(BS) and the God of Jacob?^{[k](BT) 27} He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”

The Primary Commands

²⁸ One^(BU) of the scribes^(BV) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important^[l] is Listen, Israel! The Lord^(BW) our God, the Lord^(BX) is one.^{[m] 30} Love^(BY) the Lord your God^(BZ) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,^(CA) and with all your strength.^{[n][o](CB) 31} The second is, Love your neighbor^(CC) as yourself.^[p](CD) There is no other command^(CE) greater than these.”

³² Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one^(CF) else except him.^{(CG) 33} And to love^(CH) him with all your heart, with all your understanding,^[q] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(CI)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(CJ) And no one dared^(CK) to question him any longer.

The Question about the Messiah

³⁵ While^(CL) Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked,^(CM) “How can the scribes^(CN) say that the Messiah^(CO) is the son of David?^{(CP) 36} David^(CQ) himself says by the Holy Spirit: ^(CR)

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Warning against the Scribes

³⁸ He^(CV) also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes^(CW) and who want greetings in the marketplaces,^{(CX) 39} the best seats^(CY) in the synagogues,^(CZ) and the places of honor^(DA) at banquets.^{(DB) 40} They devour^(DC) widows’^(DD) houses and say long prayers^(DE) just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

The Widow’s Gift

⁴¹ Sitting^(DF) across from the temple treasury,^(DG) he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich^(DH) people were putting in large sums. ⁴² Then a poor^(DI) widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. ⁴³ Summoning his disciples,^(DJ) he said to them, “Truly I tell you,^(DK) this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.^{(DL) 44} For they all gave out of their surplus,^(DM) but she out of her poverty^(DN) has put in everything she had^(DO) —all she had to live on.”^(DP)

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

13 As^(DQ) he was going out of the temple,^(DR) one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher,^(DS) look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!” ^(DT)

² Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings?^(DU) Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives^(DV) across from the temple,^(DW) Peter,^(DX) James,^(DY) John,^(DZ) and Andrew^(EA) asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

⁵ Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in my name,^(EB) saying, ‘I am he,’^(EC) and they will deceive^(ED) many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars,^(EE) don’t be alarmed;^(EF) these things must take place,^(EG) but it is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^(EH) There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.^[s] These are the beginning^(EI) of birth pains.^(EJ)

Persecutions Predicted

⁹ “But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts,^[t](EK) and you will be flogged^(EL) in the synagogues.^(EM) You will stand before governors and kings^(EN) because of me,^(EO) as a witness^(EP) to them.^{(EQ) 10} And it is necessary that the gospel^(ER) be preached to all nations. ¹¹ So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brother will betray^(ES) brother to death,^(ET) and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by everyone because of my name,^(EU) but the one who endures to the end will be saved.^(EV)

The Great Tribulation

¹⁴ “When you see the abomination of desolation^[u](EW) standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea^(EX) must flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house,^{(EY) 16} and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.^{(EZ) 17} Woe ^(FA) to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

¹⁸ “Pray^(FB) it^[v] won’t happen in winter. ¹⁹ For those will be days of tribulation,^(FC) the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning^(FD) of creation^(FE) until now and never will be again. ²⁰ If the Lord^(FF) had not cut those days short,^(FG) no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect,^(FH) whom he chose.^(FI)

²¹ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah!^(FJ) See, there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders^(FK) to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation:^(FL) The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; ²⁵ the stars^(FM) will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.^{(FN) 26} Then they will see the Son of Man^(FO) coming^(FP) in clouds^(FQ) with great power^(FR) and glory.^{(FS) 27} He will send out the angels^(FT) and gather his elect^(FU) from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.^(FV)

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁸ “Learn^(FW) this lesson^(FX) from the fig^(FY) tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.^{(FZ) 29} In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize^[w] that he^[x] is near—at the door.

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,^(GA) this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth^(GB) will pass away,^(GC) but my words will never pass away.^(GD)

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³² “Now concerning that day^(GE) or hour no one knows—neither the angels^(GF) in heaven nor the Son^(GG) —but only the Father.^(GH)

³³ “Watch! Be alert!^[y] For you don’t know when the time^(GI) is coming.^(GJ)

³⁴ “It is like^(GK) a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants,^(GL) gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. ³⁵ Therefore be alert,^(GM) since you don’t know when the master^(GN) of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. ³⁶ Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping.^{(GO) 37} And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”