1aAs they * approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and bBethany, near cthe Mount of Olives, He * sent two of His disciples,
2and * said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
3“If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he 1will send it back here.”
4They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they * untied it.
5Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.
7aThey * brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.
8And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.
9Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
aBlessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna ain the highest!”
11aJesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, bHe left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
12aOn the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry.
13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple
15aThen they * came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling 1doves;
16and He would not permit anyone to carry 1merchandise through the temple.
17And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘aMy house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? bBut you have made it a robbers’ 1den.”
18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and abegan seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for bthe whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
19aWhen evening came, 1they would go out of the city.
20aAs they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
21Being reminded, Peter * said to Him, “aRabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”
22And Jesus * answered saying to them, “aHave faith in God.
23“aTruly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
24“Therefore I say to you, aall things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
25“Whenever you astand praying, bforgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
26[“1aBut if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
27They * came again to Jerusalem. aAnd as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders * came to Him,
28and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”
29And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30“Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.”
31They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
32“But 1shall we say, ‘From men’?”—they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.
33Answering Jesus, they * said, “We do not know.” And Jesus * said to them, “Nor 1will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
