Matteo 21
La Nuova Diodati
21 Quando furono vicini a Gerusalemme, giunti a Betfage, presso il monte degli Ulivi, Gesú mandò due discepoli,
2 dicendo loro: «Andate nel villaggio che si trova davanti a voi; e subito troverete un'asina legata e un puledro con essa; scioglieteli e conduceteli da me.
3 E se qualcuno vi dice qualcosa, ditegli che il Signore ne ha bisogno, ma li rimanderà presto».
4 Or questo accadde, affinché si adempisse ciò che fu detto dal profeta, che dice:
5 «Dite alla figlia di Sion: Ecco il tuo re viene a te mansueto, cavalcando un asino, anzi un puledro, figlio di una bestia da soma».
6 I discepoli andarono e fecero come Gesú aveva loro comandato.
7 Condussero l'asina e il puledro, posero su questo i loro mantelli, ed egli vi montò sopra.
8 E una grandissima folla stendeva i suoi mantelli sulla strada, mentre altri tagliavano rami dagli alberi e li spargevano sulla via.
9 Le folle che precedevano come quelle che seguivano gridavano, dicendo: «Osanna al Figlio di Davide! Benedetto colui che viene nel nome del Signore! Osanna nei luoghi altissimi!».
10 E, quando egli entrò in Gerusalemme, tutta la città fu messa in agitazione, e diceva: «Chi è costui?».
11 E le folle dicevano: «Costui è Gesú il profeta che viene da Nazaret di Galilea».
12 Poi Gesú entrò nel tempio di Dio, ne scacciò tutti coloro che nel tempio vendevano e compravano, e rovesciò le tavole dei cambiavalute e le sedie dei venditori di colombi.
13 E disse loro: «Sta scritto: "La mia casa sarà chiamata casa di orazione ma voi ne avete fatto un covo di ladroni».
14 Allora vennero da lui nel tempio ciechi e zoppi, ed egli li guarí.
15 Ma i capi dei sacerdoti e gli scribi, viste le meraviglie che egli aveva fatto e i fanciulli che gridavano nel tempio dicendo: «Osanna al Figlio di Davide!», ne furono indignati,
16 e gli dissero: «Senti tu ciò che questi dicono?». Gesú disse loro «Sí! Non avete mai letto: "Dalla bocca dei bambini e dei lattanti, tu ti sei procurato lode».
17 E lasciatili, uscí dalla città verso Betania, e là passò la notte.
18 La mattina, ritornando in città, ebbe fame.
19 E vedendo un fico lungo la strada, gli si avvicinò, ma non vi trovò nulla se non delle foglie; e gli disse: «Non nasca mai piú frutto da te in eterno!». E subito il fico si seccò.
20 E, vedendo ciò, i discepoli si meravigliarono e dissero: «Come mai il fico si è seccato all'istante?».
21 E Gesú, rispondendo, disse loro: «In verità vi dico che se avete fede e non dubitate, non solo farete ciò che io ho fatto al fico, ma se anche diceste a questo monte: "Levati di lí e gettati nel mare" ciò avverrà.
22 E tutto ciò che chiederete in preghiera, avendo fede, lo otterrete».
23 Quando entrò nel tempio, i capi dei sacerdoti e gli anziani del popolo si accostarono a lui, mentre insegnava, e dissero: «Con quale autorità fai tu queste cose? E chi ti ha dato questa autorità?».
24 E Gesú, rispondendo, disse loro: «Anch'io vi farò una domanda, e se voi mi risponderete, io pure vi dirò con quale autorità faccio queste cose.
25 Il battesimo di Giovanni da dove veniva? Dal cielo o dagli uomini?». Ed essi ragionavano tra loro dicendo: «Se diciamo dal cielo, ci dirà: "Perché dunque non gli credeste?"
26 Se invece diciamo dagli uomini, temiamo la folla, perché tutti ritengono Giovanni un profeta».
27 E risposero a Gesú dicendo: «Non lo sappiamo». Allora egli disse loro: «Neanch'io vi dirò con quale autorità faccio queste cose».
28 «Che ve ne pare? Un uomo aveva due figli e rivolgendosi al primo disse "Figlio, va' oggi a lavorare nella mia vigna".
29 ma egli rispose e disse: "Non voglio"; piú tardi però, pentitosi, vi andò.
30 Poi, rivoltosi al secondo gli disse la stessa cosa. Ed egli rispose e disse: "Sí, lo farò signore ma non vi andò.
31 Chi dei due ha fatto la volontà del padre?». Essi gli dissero: «Il primo». Gesú disse loro: «In verità vi dico che i pubblicani e le meretrici vi precedono nel regno dei cieli.
32 Poiché Giovanni è venuto a voi per la via della giustizia, e voi non gli avete creduto, mentre i pubblicani e le meretrici gli hanno creduto; e voi, nemmeno dopo aver visto queste cose, vi siete ravveduti per credergli».
33 «Ascoltate un'altra parabola: Vi era un padrone di casa, il quale piantò una vigna, Ia cinse di una siepe, vi scavò un luogo dove pigiare l'uva, vi costruí una torre e, dopo averla affidata a certi vignaioli, partí.
34 Ora giunto il tempo della raccolta egli mandò i suoi servi dai vignaioli, per riceverne i frutti,
35 ma i vignaioli, presi i suoi servi, uno lo bastonarono, un altro lo uccisero e un altro lo lapidarono.
36 Di nuovo egli mandò altri servi, in maggior numero dei primi; e quei vignaioli li trattarono allo stesso modo.
37 In ultimo egli mandò loro il proprio figlio dicendo: "Avranno almeno rispetto di mio figlio!".
38 Ma i vignaioli, visto il figlio dissero fra loro: "Costui è l'erede; venite uccidiamolo e impadroniamoci della sua eredità"
39 E, presolo lo cacciarono fuori della vigna e lo uccisero.
40 Ora, quando verrà il padrone della vigna, che cosa farà a quei vignaioli?».
41 Essi gli dissero: «Egli farà perire miseramente quegli scellerati, e affiderà la vigna ad altri vignaioli, i quali gli renderanno i frutti a suo tempo».
42 Gesú disse loro: «Non avete mai letto nelle Scritture: "La pietra che gli edificatori hanno rigettata è divenuta la testata d'angolo. Questa è opera del Signore, ed è meravigliosa agli occhi nostri"?.
43 Perciò io vi dico che il regno di Dio vi sarà tolto e sarà dato a una gente che lo farà fruttificare.
44 E chi cadrà su questa pietra sarà sfracellato; e colui sul quale essa cadrà sarà stritolato».
45 I capi dei sacerdoti e i farisei, udite le sue parabole, si avvidero che parlava di loro.
46 E cercavano di prenderlo, ma temettero le folle, perché lo ritenevano un profeta.
Matthew 21
Expanded Bible
Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a King(A)
21 As Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] ·were coming closer to [approached] Jerusalem, they ·stopped at [L came to] Bethphage ·at [or on] the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his ·followers [disciples] 2 and said to them, “Go to the town ·you can see there [ahead of you; or opposite you]. When you enter it, you will ·quickly [immediately] find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you ·why you are taking the donkeys [L anything], say that ·the Master [the Lord; or its Owner] needs them, and ·he will send them at once [or the Lord will return it soon; see Mark 11:3].”
4 This was to ·bring about [fulfill] what ·the prophet had said [L had been spoken through the prophet]:
5 “Tell ·the people of Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C a metaphor for Israel],
‘[L Look; T Behold,] Your king is coming to you.
He is ·gentle [humble] and ·riding [mounted] on a donkey,
on the colt of a donkey [Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9].’”
6 [So] The ·followers [disciples] went and did what Jesus ·told them to do [instructed; commanded]. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their ·coats [cloaks] on them, ·and Jesus sat on them. 8 ·Many people [A very large crowd; or Most of the crowd] spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The ·people [crowds] were walking ahead of Jesus and ·behind [following] him, shouting,
“·Praise [L Hosanna! C a Hebrew word originally used in praying for help, but by this time a joyful shout of praise to God] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah]!
·God bless [Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26]!
·Praise to God in heaven [L Hosanna in the highest; C either “in highest heaven” or “to the Most High God”]!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was ·filled with excitement [stirred up; in an uproar]. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple(B)
12 Jesus went into the ·Temple [temple complex; C the large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and ·threw [drove] out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of ·those who were exchanging different kinds of money [L the moneychangers], and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [or pigeons; C moneychangers provided particular coins needed for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. 13 Jesus said to ·all the people there [L them], “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [L House] will be called a house for prayer [Is. 56:7].’ But you are ·changing [making] it into a ·hideout for robbers [T den of thieves; Jer. 7:11].”
14 The blind and ·crippled people [lame] came to Jesus in the Temple [courts; v. 12], and he healed them. 15 [L But when] The ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things and that the children were praising him in the Temple [courts; v. 12], saying, “·Praise [L Hosanna; v. 9] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah; v. 9].” All these things made the priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·very angry [indignant].
16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”
Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ·‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’ [L ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have prepared/created praise’; Ps. 8:2 LXX]?”
17 Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Power of Faith(C)
18 Early the next morning, as Jesus was going back to the city, he became hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Jesus went to it, but ·there were no figs [L he found nothing] on the tree, only leaves [Is. 5:1–7]. So Jesus said to the tree, “·You will [May you] never again have fruit.” The tree immediately ·dried up [withered].
20 When his ·followers [disciples] saw this, they were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree ·dry up [wither] ·so quickly [immediately]?”
21 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘·Go, fall [L Be lifted up and thrown] into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will ·happen [be done]. 22 If you ·believe [have faith], you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority(D)
23 Jesus went to the Temple [courts], and while he was teaching there, the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders of the people came to him. They said, “What authority do you have to do these things? [L And] Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I also will ask you a question. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. 25 Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from ·God [L heaven; C a reverential Jewish way of referring to God] or just from ·other people [human beings]?”
They argued about Jesus’ question, saying, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from ·God [L heaven],’ Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘It was from ·people [human beings],’ we are afraid of what the crowd will do because they all ·believe [think; hold] that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said to them, “Then I won’t tell you what authority I have to do these things.
A Story About Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think about this: A man had two sons. He went to the ·first [elder] son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in ·my [the] vineyard.’ 29 The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son ·changed his mind [regretted/thought better of it] and went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said, ·‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard’ [L the same thing]. The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two sons ·obeyed [L did the will of] his father?”
·The priests and leaders [L They] answered, “The first son.”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes ·will enter [are going into] the kingdom of God ·before you do [ahead of you]. 32 [L For] John came to show you the ·right way to live [the way/path of righteousness]. You did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Even after seeing this, you still refused to ·change your ways [change your mind; repent] and believe him.
The Story of the Evil Farmers(E)
33 “Listen to ·this story [another parable]: There was a ·man who owned [landowner who planted] a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a ·hole [vat; pit] for a winepress and built a tower [C to protect against thieves; see Is. 5:1–7 for the background to this parable]. Then he leased the land to some [C tenant] farmers and left for a trip [C the owner represents God, the farmers are Israel’s religious leaders]. 34 When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent his ·servants [slaves] to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the farmers grabbed the ·servants [slaves], beat one, killed another, and then ·killed a third servant with stones [L stoned a third]. 36 So the man sent some other ·servants [slaves] to the farmers, even more than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to them that they had done before [C the servants represent the prophets God sent to Israel]. 37 ·So [L Finally; Last of all] the man sent his son to the farmers [C the son represents Jesus]. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This son will inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him, and we will get his inheritance!’ 39 Then the farmers grabbed the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 So what will the ·owner [lord] of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?”
41 ·The priests and leaders [L They] said, “He will ·surely kill those evil men [bring those wretches/evil men to a wretched/evil end]. Then he will lease the vineyard to some other farmers who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time [C referring to the sinners who were responding to Jesus’ call for repentance, and eventually to the Gentiles who would be saved].”
42 Jesus said to them, “·Surely you have read [L Haven’t you ever read…?] this in the Scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
became the cornerstone [capstone; keystone; L head of the corner; C the meaning is uncertain, but clearly refers to the most important stone in the building; Jesus is the rejected stone].
The Lord did this,
and it is ·wonderful [amazing; marvelous] ·to us [for us to see; L in our eyes; Ps. 118:22–23].’
43 “·So [For this reason; Therefore] I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to ·people [a nation] who ·do the things God wants in his kingdom [L will produce its fruit]. 44 The person who ·falls on [stumbles over] this stone will be ·broken [shattered], and on whomever that stone falls, that person will be crushed.”[a]
45 When the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Pharisees heard these ·stories [parables], they knew Jesus was talking about them. 46 They ·wanted [were seeking/trying] to arrest him, but they were afraid of the ·people [crowds], because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:44 The … crushed. Some Greek copies do not have verse 44.
Matthew 21
New Matthew Bible
He rides into Jerusalem, drives the merchants out of the temple, curses the fig tree, and rebukes the Pharisees with the similitudes of the two sons and of the husbandmen who slew such as were sent to them.
21 When they drew near to Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, Go into the town that lies in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and her colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord has need of them, and straightaway he will let them go.
4 All this was done to fulfil that which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 Tell ye the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you, humble and sitting upon a donkey and a colt, the foal of a donkey bred to the yoke.
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus told them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and set him thereon. 8 And many of the people spread their garments in the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and strew them in the road. 9 Moreover, the people who went ahead, and also those who came after, cried out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
10 And when he came to Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the people said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, a town of Galilee.
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all the people who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of the people who sold doves, 13 and said to them, It is written: My house shall be called the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15 When the chief priests and scribes saw the marvels that he did, and the children calling out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were indignant 16 and said to him, Do you hear what they say? Jesus said to them, Yea, have you never read: From the mouth of babes and sucklings, you have ordained praise?
17 And he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and had his lodging there.
18 In the morning, as he returned into the city again, he hungered, 19 and saw a fig tree by the road, and went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and said to it, Let fruit never grow on you from this time forward. And at once the fig tree withered away. 20 And when his disciples saw that, they marvelled, saying, How has the fig tree withered away so suddenly? 21 Jesus answered and said to them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what I have done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, Take yourself away and cast yourself into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer (if you believe), you will receive it.
23 And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?
24 Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask of you a certain question, which, if you answer me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John: whence was it? from heaven, or of men?
Then they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say to us, why did you not then believe him? 26 But if we say it was of men, then we fear the people. (For everyone held John to be a prophet.)
27 And they answered Jesus and said, We don’t know.
And he likewise said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 What do you say to this: A certain man had two sons, and went to the elder and said, Son, go and work today in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not, but afterward he repented and went. 30 Then the father went to the second son and said likewise. And he answered and said, I will, Sir. Yet he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of the father?
And they said to him, The first.
Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the publicans and the harlots shall come into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him. And yet you, though you saw it, were still not moved with repentance, so that you might afterward have believed him.
33 Hear another similitude: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard. He hedged it round about and made a winepress in it, and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen caught his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than at the first, and they treated them likewise. 37 Then last of all he sent to them his own son, saying, They will respect my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us take his inheritance for ourselves. 39 And they caught him and thrust him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 Now when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do with those husbandmen?
41 They said to him, He will miserably destroy those evil persons, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen who will render to him the fruit in their seasons.
42 Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders refused, the same is set in the principal part of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and will be given to the Gentiles, who will bring forth the fruits of it. 44 And whosoever falls on this stone, he shall be broken; but whomever it falls upon, it will grind him to powder.
45 When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these similitudes, they perceived that he was speaking of them. 46 And they went about to lay hands on him, but they feared the people because they took him as a prophet.
Copyright © 1991 by La Buona Novella s.c.r.l.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.