Matthew 21
World English Bible
21 When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage,[a] to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
behold, your King comes to you,
humble, and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them. 8 A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna[b] to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11 The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
12 Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’
14 The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”
Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise?’”
17 He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.
18 Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!”
Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. 22 All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
23 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 do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27 They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.”
He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.
33 “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34 When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way. 37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected
was made the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. 46 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.
Matthew 21
English Standard Version
The Triumphal Entry
21 (A)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to (B)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus (C)sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place (D)to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 (E)“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
(F)humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt,[a] the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd (G)spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, (H)“Hosanna to (I)the Son of David! (J)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (K)in the highest!” 10 And (L)when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is (M)the prophet Jesus, (N)from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 (O)And Jesus entered the temple[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (P)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (Q)pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, (R)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but (S)you make it a den of robbers.”
14 (T)And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 (U)But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, (V)“Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; (W)have you never read,
17 And (Z)leaving them, he (AA)went out of the city to (AB)Bethany and lodged there.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 (AC)In the morning, as he was returning to the city, (AD)he became hungry. 19 (AE)And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, (AF)“Truly, I say to you, (AG)if you have faith and (AH)do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, (AI)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (AJ)whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, (AK)if you have faith.”
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 (AL)And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him (AM)as he was teaching, and said, (AN)“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, (AO)from where did it come? (AP)From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, (AQ)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ (AR)we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was (AS)a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 (AT)“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in (AU)the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he (AV)changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (AW)the tax collectors and (AX)the prostitutes go into (AY)the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you (AZ)in the way of righteousness, and (BA)you did not believe him, but (BB)the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward (BC)change your minds and believe him.
The Parable of the Tenants
33 (BD)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted (BE)a vineyard (BF)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and (BG)leased it to tenants, and (BH)went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[c] to the tenants (BI)to get his fruit. 35 (BJ)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and (BK)stoned another. 36 (BL)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, (BM)‘This is the heir. Come, (BN)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and (BO)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 (BP)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, (BQ)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and (BR)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, (BS)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:
(BT)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;[d]
this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God (BU)will be taken away from you and given to a people (BV)producing its fruits. 44 And (BW)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and (BX)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”[e]
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And (BY)although they were seeking to arrest him, (BZ)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be (CA)a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:5 Or donkey, and on a colt
- Matthew 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God
- Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
- Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
- Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
