Matthew 21:20-25:46

Christian Standard Bible

²⁰ When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

²¹ Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.^{(A) 22} And if you believe, you will receive^(B) whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

²³ When he entered the temple,^(C) 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? Who gave you this authority?” ^(D)

²⁴ Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Did John’s baptism come from heaven, or was it of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ^{(E) 26} But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we’re afraid of the crowd,^(F) because everyone considers John to be a prophet.”^{(G) 27} So they answered Jesus, “We don’t 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 “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’^(H)

²⁹ “He answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he answered, but he didn’t go. ³¹ Which of the two did his father’s will?”

They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness,^(I) and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

³³ “Listen^(J) to another parable:^(K) There was a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower.^(L) He leased it to tenant farmers and went away.^{(M) 34} When the time came to harvest fruit, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his fruit. ³⁵ The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.^{(N) 36} Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group, and they did the same to them. ³⁷ Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’^{(O) 39} So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

⁴¹ “He will completely destroy those terrible men,” they told him, “and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his fruit at the harvest.”^(P)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. ⁴⁴ Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; ^(R) but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”^[c]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,^(S) they knew he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ Although they were looking for a way to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because the people regarded him as a prophet.^(T)

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: ² “The kingdom of heaven^(U) is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.^{(V) 3} He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet,^(W) but they didn’t want to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’^(X)

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷ The king^[d] was enraged, and he sent out his troops, killed those murderers, and burned down their city.

⁸ “Then he told his servants, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.^{(Y) 9} Go then to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’^{(Z) 10} So those servants went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.^{[e] 11} When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.^{(AA) 12} So he said to him, ‘Friend,^(AB) how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot,^[f] and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”^(AC)

God and Caesar

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him by what he said.^{[g](AD) 16} So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians.^(AE) “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You don’t care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality.^{[h](AF) 17} Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar^(AG) or not?”

¹⁸ Perceiving their malicious intent, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for the tax.” They brought him a denarius.^{[i] 20} “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them.

²¹ “Caesar’s,” they said to him.

Then he said to them, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”^{(AH) 22} When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

²³ That same day some Sadducees,^(AI) who say there is no resurrection, came up to him and questioned him:^{(AJ) 24} “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.^{[j](AK) 25} Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second also, and the third, and so on to all seven. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”^[k]

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like^[l] angels in heaven.^{(AL) 31} Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: ³² I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?^[m](AM) He^[n] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

³³ And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Primary Commands

³⁴ When^(AN) the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him:^{(AO) 36} “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

³⁷ He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^{[o](AP) 38} This is the greatest and most important^[p] command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.^{[q](AQ) 40} All the Law and the Prophets depend^[r] on these two commands.”^(AR)

The Question about the Messiah

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them,^{(AS) 42} “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “David’s.”

⁴³ He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit,^[s] calls him ‘Lord’:^(AT)

⁴⁵ “If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how, then, can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one was able to answer him at all,^[v] and from that day no one dared to question him anymore.^(AV)

Religious Hypocrites Denounced

23 Then^(AW) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:^{(AX) 2} “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.^{(AY) 3} Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.^{(AZ) 4} They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry^[w] and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.^{(BA) 5} They do everything^[x] to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries^(BB) and lengthen their tassels.^{[y](BC) 6} They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,^{(BD) 7} greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,^[z] and you are all brothers and sisters.^{(BE) 9} Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.^{(BF) 10} You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant.^{(BG) 12} Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.^(BH)

¹³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.^[aa](BI)

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert,^(BJ) and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are!

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides,^(BK) who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath^(BL) by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’^{[ab] 17} Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? ¹⁸ Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ Blind people!^[ac] For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?^{(BM) 20} Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. ²¹ The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells^(BN) in it. ²² And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne^(BO) and by him who sits on it.^(BP)

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of^[ad] mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,^(BQ) mercy, and faithfulness.^[ae] These things should have been done without neglecting the others. ²⁴ Blind guides!^(BR) You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed^[af] and self-indulgence.^{(BS) 26} Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,^[ag] so that the outside of it^[ah] may also become clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,^(BT) which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!^(BU)

³³ “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?^{[ai](BV) 34} This is why I am sending you prophets,^(BW) sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues^(BX) and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,^[aj] from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,^(BY) son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.^{(BZ) 36} Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.^(CA)

Jesus’s Lamenting over Jerusalem

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,^(CB) who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks^[ak] under her wings, but you were not willing!^{(CC) 38} See, your house is left to you desolate.^{(CD) 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”^[al](CE)

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

24 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple,^(CF) his disciples^(CG) came up and called his attention to its buildings. ² He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” ^(CH)

⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives^(CI) you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.^{(CJ) 6} You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines^[am](CK) and earthquakes in various places.^{(CL) 8} All these events are the beginning of labor pains.^(CM)

Persecutions Predicted

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.^{(CN) 10} Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets^(CO) will rise up and deceive many. ¹² Because lawlessness^(CP) will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world^[an] as a testimony to all nations,^(CQ) and then the end will come.^(CR)

The Great Tribulation

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation,^[ao] spoken of by the prophet Daniel,^(CS) standing in the holy place”^(CT) (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ A man on the housetop^[ap] must not come down to get things out of his house,^{(CU) 18} and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. ¹⁹ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great distress,^[aq](CV) the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. ²² Unless those days were cut short, no one would^[ar] be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.^(CW)

²³ “If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’^(CX) or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it.^{(CY) 24} For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray,^(CZ) if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ Take note: I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.^{(DA) 28} Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures^[as] will gather.^(DB)

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress^(DC) of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth^[at] will mourn;^[au] and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.^{(DD) 31} He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet,^(DE) and they will gather his elect from the four winds,^(DF) from one end of the sky to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

³² “Learn this lesson^(DG) from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize^[av] that he^[aw] is near—at the door.^{(DH) 34} Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.^{(DI) 35} Heaven and earth will pass away,^(DJ) but my words will never pass away.^(DK)

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³⁶ “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son^[ax] —except the Father alone.^{(DL) 37} As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.^{(DM) 39} They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill; one will be taken and one left.^{(DN) 42} Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day^[ay] your Lord is coming.^{(DO) 43} But know this: If the homeowner had known what time^[az] the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.^{(DP) 44} This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.^(DQ)

Faithful Service to Christ

⁴⁵ “Who then is a faithful and wise servant,^(DR) whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?^{(DS) 46} Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.^{(DT) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards,^{(DU) 50} that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins^[ba] who took their lamps^[bb] and went out to meet the groom.^{(DV) 2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise.^{(DW) 3} When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; ⁴ but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵ When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’

⁷ “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.^{(DX) 11} Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’

¹² “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’

¹³ “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.^[bc]

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey.^(DY) He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[bd] to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey.^(DZ) Immediately ¹⁶ the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. ¹⁷ In the same way the man with two earned two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

²¹ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’^(EA)

²² “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

²³ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

²⁴ “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.^{(EB) 25} So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant!^(EC) If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷ then^[be] you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money^[bf] back with interest when I returned.

²⁸ “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.^{(ED) 30} And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness,^(EE) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels^[bg](EF) with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.^{(EG) 32} All the nations^[bh](EH) will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.^{(EI) 33} He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom^(EJ) prepared for you from the foundation of the world.^(EK)

³⁵ “‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’^(EL)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(EM)

⁴¹ “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!^{(EN) 42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’

⁴⁵ “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’^(EO)

⁴⁶ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”^(EP)