21Matthew 21

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

1As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on aheadSelect Matthew 21:1

2with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me.Select Matthew 21:2

3And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.”Select Matthew 21:3

4This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said:Select Matthew 21:4

5“Tell the city of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”Select Matthew 21:5

6So the disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do:Select Matthew 21:6

7they brought the donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on.Select Matthew 21:7

8A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.Select Matthew 21:8

9The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, “Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!”Select Matthew 21:9

10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. “Who is he?” the people asked.Select Matthew 21:10

11“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.Select Matthew 21:11

Jesus Goes to the Temple

12Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons,Select Matthew 21:12

13and said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!”Select Matthew 21:13

14The blind and the crippled came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.Select Matthew 21:14

15The chief priests and the teachers of the Law became angry when they saw the wonderful things he was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David's Son!”Select Matthew 21:15

16So they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?” “Indeed I do,” answered Jesus. “Haven't you ever read this scripture? ‘You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.’”Select Matthew 21:16

17Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.Select Matthew 21:17

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18On his way back to the city early next morning, Jesus was hungry.Select Matthew 21:18

19He saw a fig tree by the side of the road and went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to the tree, “You will never again bear fruit!” At once the fig tree dried up.Select Matthew 21:19

20The disciples saw this and were astounded. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.Select Matthew 21:20

21Jesus answered, “I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself in the sea,’ and it will.Select Matthew 21:21

22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”Select Matthew 21:22

The Question about Jesus' Authority

23Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”Select Matthew 21:23

24Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things.Select Matthew 21:24

25Where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?” They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’Select Matthew 21:25

26But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ we are afraid of what the people might do, because they are all convinced that John was a prophet.”Select Matthew 21:26

27So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.Select Matthew 21:27

The Parable of the Two Sons

28“Now, what do you think? There was once a man who had two sons. He went to the older one and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’Select Matthew 21:28

29‘I don't want to,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.Select Matthew 21:29

30Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered, but he did not go.Select Matthew 21:30

31Which one of the two did what his father wanted?” “The older one,” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “I tell you: the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.Select Matthew 21:31

32For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.Select Matthew 21:32

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

33“Listen to another parable,” Jesus said. “There was once a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip.Select Matthew 21:33

34When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent his slaves to the tenants to receive his share of the harvest.Select Matthew 21:34

35The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.Select Matthew 21:35

36Again the man sent other slaves, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.Select Matthew 21:36

37Last of all he sent his son to them. ‘Surely they will respect my son,’ he said.Select Matthew 21:37

38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and we will get his property!’Select Matthew 21:38

39So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.Select Matthew 21:39

40“Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” Jesus asked.Select Matthew 21:40

41“He will certainly kill those evil men,” they answered, “and rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time.”Select Matthew 21:41

42Jesus said to them, “Haven't you ever read what the Scriptures say? ‘The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!’Select Matthew 21:42

43“And so I tell you,” added Jesus, “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the proper fruits.”Select Matthew 21:43

45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables and knew that he was talking about them,Select Matthew 21:45

46so they tried to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.Select Matthew 21:46