The Triumphal Entry

11 When^(A) they approached Jerusalem,^(B) at Bethphage and Bethany^(C) near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ² and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”

⁴ So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, ⁵ and some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go.

⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their clothes on the road,^(D) and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields.^{[a] 9} Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:

¹¹ He went into Jerusalem^(J) and into the temple.^(K) After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany^(L) with the Twelve.

The Barren Fig Tree Is Cursed

¹² The^(M) next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig^(N) 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^(O) from you again!”^(P) And his disciples^(Q) heard it.

Cleansing the Temple

¹⁵ They came to Jerusalem,^(R) and he went into the temple^(S) and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers^(T) 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,^(U) My house^(V) will be called a house of prayer^(W) for all nations?^[c] But you have made it a den of thieves!”^[d](X)

¹⁸ The chief priests and the scribes^(Y) heard it and started looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid^(Z) 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^(AA) in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. ²¹ Then Peter^(AB) remembered and said to him, “Rabbi,^(AC) look! The fig tree that you cursed^(AD) has withered.”

²² Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.^{(AE) 23} Truly I tell you,^(AF) if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt^(AG) in his heart, but believes^(AH) that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.^{(AI) 24} Therefore I tell you, everything you pray^(AJ) and ask for^(AK)—believe that you have received^[e](AL) it and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand^(AM) praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive^(AN) him, so that your Father^(AO) in heaven^(AP) will also forgive^(AQ) you your wrongdoing.”^[f]

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

²⁷ They^(AR) came again to Jerusalem.^(AS) As he was walking in the temple,^(AT) the chief priests, the scribes,^(AU) and the elders^(AV) came ²⁸ and asked him, “By what authority^(AW) 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;^(AX) then answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was John’s baptism^(AY) 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^(AZ) him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.^{(BA) 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.”