Matthew

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 21, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 21 New English Translation

The Triumphal Entry

   1 Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 telling them, "Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, 'The LORD needs them, ' and he will send them at once." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
   5 "Tell the people of Zion, 'Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
   6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!" 10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

Cleansing the Temple

   12 Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 And he said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer, ' but you are turning it into a den of robbers!"
   14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David, " they became indignant 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself'?" 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

The Withered Fig Tree

   18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 After noticing a fig tree by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, "Never again will there be fruit from you!" And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" 21 Jesus answered them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, ' it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive."

The Authority of Jesus

   23 Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up 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 them, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven or from people?" They discussed this among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven, ' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From people, ' we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing 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, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 The boy answered, 'I will not.' But later he had a change of heart and went. 30 The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 'I will, sir, ' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father's will?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

   33 "Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 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, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and get his inheritance!' 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest."
   42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
   43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.

King James Version

   1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
   2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
   3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
   4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
   5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
   6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
   7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
   8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
   9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
   10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
   11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
   12 ¶ And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
   13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye 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 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
   16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
   17 ¶ And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
   18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
   19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
   20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
   21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
   22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
   23 ¶ And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
   24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
   25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
   26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
   27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
   28 ¶ But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
   29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
   30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
   31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
   32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
   33 ¶ Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged 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, that they might receive the fruits of it.
   35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
   36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
   37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence 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 seize on his inheritance.
   39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
   40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
   41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
   42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
   43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
   44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
   45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
   46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.