Mark 11
Worldwide English (New Testament)
11 They came to Bethphage and Bethany, near Jerusalem by the hill called Olives. Then he sent two of his disciples ahead.
2 He said, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find an animal tied. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it to me.
3 If anyone asks you, "Why are you doing this?" tell him, "The Lord needs it. He will send it back soon." '
4 The disciples went. They found the animal tied outside a door in the street. They untied it.
5 People standing there said, `What are you doing, untying the animal?'
6 The disciples said what Jesus had told them to say. So they let them go.
7 They brought it to Jesus and laid their coats on it. He got on it.
8 Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut leaves and branches from the fields and put them on the road.
9 People in front of him and people behind him shouted, `Praise God! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 God bless the kingdom of our father David which is coming. Praise him in heaven!'
11 And so Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. He looked at everything. Then he went out with the twelve disciples to Bethany. It was late already.
12 In the morning when they were on the way out of Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 He saw a fig tree a little way off with leaves on it. So he went to see if it had figs. He came to the tree. There was no fruit on it, only leaves. It was not the time for figs.
14 Jesus said to the tree, `No one will ever eat a fig from you again!' His disciples heard what he said.
15 They reached Jerusalem. Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out the people who were buying and selling in the temple. He threw down the tables of the money changers. He pushed down the seats of those who sold doves.
16 He would not let anyone carry anything through the temple.
17 He taught the people, saying, `The holy writings say, "My house shall be called a house for all tribes and nations, where people talk with God." But you have made it a place for people who steal!'
18 The chief priests and scribes heard what he said. They wanted to find some way to kill him. They feared Jesus because all the people were surprised at his teaching.
19 In the evening Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
20 The next morning they passed the fig tree again. They saw that it had died from the roots.
21 Peter remembered about it. He said, `Look Master, you cursed the fig tree and it has died.'
22 Jesus said, `Believe in God.
23 I tell you the truth. Anyone may say to this hill, "Go and jump into the sea." He must not doubt in his heart, but he must believe that he will have the things he asks for and he will have them.
24 So I tell you, when you ask God for anything believe that you will get it and you will have it.
25 When you stand and talk with God, forgive others for the wrong things they have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will also forgive you for the wrong things you have done.
26 But if you do not forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive you for the wrong things you have done.'
27 They came to Jerusalem again. Jesus walked in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders came to him.
28 They said, `What right have you to do these things? Who gave you the right to do them?'
29 Jesus said, `I will ask you a question. If you answer me, I will answer you and tell you what right I have to do these things.
30 Who gave John the right to baptise people? Did God or did men? Answer me!'
31 So they talked it over together. They said, `If we say, "God gave John the right," he will say, "Then why did you not believe him?"
32 But what if we say, "Men gave him the right to do it"?' They feared the people because they all believed that John was a prophet of God.
33 So they answered Jesus, `We do not know.' Then Jesus said, `Neither will I tell you what right I have to do these things.'
Mark 11
Living Bible
11 As they neared Bethphage and Bethany on the outskirts of Jerusalem and came to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead.
2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them, “and just as you enter you will see a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie him and bring him here. 3 And if anyone asks you what you are doing, just say, ‘Our Master needs him and will return him soon.’”
4-5 Off went the two men and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside a house. As they were untying it, some who were standing there demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”
6 So they said what Jesus had told them to, and then the men agreed.
7 So the colt was brought to Jesus, and the disciples threw their cloaks across its back for him to ride on. 8 Then many in the crowd spread out their coats along the road before him, while others threw down leafy branches from the fields.
9 He was in the center of the procession with crowds ahead and behind, and all of them shouting, “Hail to the King!” “Praise God for him who comes in the name of the Lord!” . . . 10 “Praise God for the return of our father David’s kingdom. . . . ” “Hail to the King of the universe!”
11 And so he entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. He looked around carefully at everything and then left—for now it was late in the afternoon—and went out to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
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
26-28 [a]By this time they had arrived in Jerusalem again, and as he was walking through the Temple area, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders came up to him demanding, “What’s going on here? Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?”
29 Jesus replied, “I’ll tell you if you answer one question! 30 What about John the Baptist? Was he sent by God, or not? Answer me!”
31 They talked it over among themselves. “If we reply that God sent him, then he will say, ‘All right, why didn’t you accept him?’ 32 But if we say God didn’t send him, then the people will start a riot.” (For the people all believed strongly that John was a prophet.)
33 So they said, “We can’t answer. We don’t know.”
To which Jesus replied, “Then I won’t answer your question either!”
Footnotes
- Mark 11:26 Many ancient authorities add v. 26: “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” All include this in Matthew 6:15. other Jewish leaders, literally, “scribes and elders.” Also in 12:12.
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