Matthew 21

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

1Jesus and his followers came near the city of Jerusalem. They reached a town called Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two of his followers ahead.

2Saying 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.

2He told them, "Go into the village up ahead. Right away you will find a donkey tied there. Her young colt is with her. Untie them and bring them to me."

3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

3"If anyone asks you about it, say, 'The Lord needs them.' Then he will let them go right away."

4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

4This happened so the words of a prophet would come true. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

5Tell 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.

5The prophet wrote: "Tell the people of Zion, which means Jerusalem, 'Look! Your King is coming to you. He is gentle. He rides on a donkey, on the young colt of a donkey.'"

6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

6The two followers went and did just what Jesus told them.

7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

7They brought the donkey and her colt. They laid their coats on them. Jesus sat on them.

8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

8A huge crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9And 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.

9The crowds walked in front of Jesus and behind him. They shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Note"Hosanna" is an old Hebrew word that means "please save us." By this time people also shouted it to welcome someone with joy.

10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

10When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. People asked, "Who is this?"

11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

11The crowds said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee."

12And 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,

12Jesus went into the temple, God's house in Jerusalem. He drove out everyone who was buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the men who traded money. He turned over the seats of the men selling doves.

13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

13He said to them, "God's book says, 'My house will be called a house of prayer.' But you have made it a hideout for robbers."

14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

14Blind people and people who could not walk came to him at the temple. He made them well.

15And 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,

15The chief priests were the leaders in charge of the temple. The scribes were teachers who copied and studied God's law. They saw the wonderful things Jesus did. They heard children shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" This made them very angry.

16And 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?

16They said to Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus said, "Yes. Have you never read this? 'You have taught little children and babies to praise you.'"

17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

17Then he left them. He went out of the city to the town of Bethany and stayed the night there.

18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

18In the morning Jesus walked back to the city. He was hungry.

19And 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.

19He saw a fig tree beside the road. He went to it, but found only leaves and no figs. He said to the tree, "You will never grow fruit again." Right away the tree dried up.

NoteThe King James Bible says the tree withered "presently." Back then "presently" meant right away, not later on.

20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

20The followers saw this and were amazed. They asked, "How did the fig tree dry up so fast?"

21Jesus 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.

21Jesus told them, "I am telling you the truth. If you trust God and do not doubt, you can do what I did to this tree. You could even say to this mountain, 'Lift up and throw yourself into the sea.' And it would happen."

22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

22"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for when you pray."

23And 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?

23Jesus went into the temple and started teaching. The chief priests and the leaders of the people came to him. They asked, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this right?"

24And 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.

24Jesus answered, "I will ask you one question too. If you answer me, I will tell you what right I have."

25The 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?

25"John baptized people. Did that come from God in heaven, or from people?" They talked it over. They said, "If we say it came from heaven, he will ask why we did not believe John."

26But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

26"But if we say it came from people, the crowd will be angry with us. Everyone believes John was a prophet."

27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

27So they said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said, "Then I will not tell you what right I have to do these things."

28But 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.

28"What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first son and said, 'Son, go work in my grape field today.'"

29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

29"The son said, 'I will not.' But later he changed his mind and went."

30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

30"The father went to the second son and said the same thing. That son said, 'Yes, sir, I will go.' But he did not go."

31Whether 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.

31"Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?" They said, "The first one." Jesus said, "I am telling you the truth. Tax collectors and prostitutes are going into God's kingdom ahead of you."

32For 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.

32"John came to you and showed you the right way to live. You did not believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him. You saw that happen. Still you did not change your mind and believe him."

33Hear 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:

33"Listen to another story. A man planted a grape field. He built a wall around it. He dug a place for pressing juice from grapes. He built a tower. Then he rented the field to some farmers and went far away."

34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

34"When it was time to pick the grapes, he sent his servants to those farmers. They were to bring back his share of the fruit."

35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

35"But the farmers grabbed the servants. They beat one. They killed another. They threw stones at another."

36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

36"So the man sent more servants than the first time. The farmers treated them the same way."

37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

37"Last of all he sent his own son. He said, 'They will respect my son.'"

38But 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.

38"But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the one who will get the field someday. Let us kill him and take it for ourselves.'"

39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

39"So they grabbed him. They threw him out of the grape field and killed him."

40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

40"Now when the owner of the grape field comes back, what will he do to those farmers?"

41They 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.

41They answered, "He will put those wicked men to a terrible end. Then he will rent the field to other farmers. Those farmers will give him his share of the fruit at picking time."

42Jesus 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?

42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read this in God's book? 'The stone the builders threw away has become the most important stone of all. The Lord did this, and it is wonderful to see.'"

Note"The head of the corner" means the cornerstone. That is the first and most important stone of a building. The other stones are lined up by it.

43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

43"So I tell you, God's kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to a people who grow the fruit God wants."

44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

44"Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. If the stone falls on someone, it will crush him."

45And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories. The Pharisees were a group who were very careful about God's law. They understood that Jesus was talking about them.

46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

46They wanted to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, because the people believed Jesus was a prophet.