LO - Matthew - 21

21:1  When they were nigh Jerusalem, being come to Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,

21:2  saying, Go to the village opposite to you, where you will find an ass tied, and her colt with her; loose them, and bring them hither.

21:3  If any man say anything to you, say, Your Master wants them, and he will send them directly.

21:4  Now all this was done, that the words of the Prophet might be fulfilled,

21:5  "Say to the daughters of Zion, behold your King comes to you lowly, riding on an ass, even the colt of a laboring beast."

21:6  Accordingly the disciples went, and having done as Jesus had commanded them,

21:7  brought the ass and the colt, and covering them with their mantles, made him ride.

21:8  Now the greater part spread their mantles in the way; others lopped branches off the trees, and strowed them in the way,

21:9  while the crowd that went before and that followed, shouted, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

21:10  When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, everybody asking, Who is this?

21:11  The crowd answered, It is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, in Galilee.

21:12  Then Jesus went into the temple of God, and drove thence all who sold and who brought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the stalls of those who sold doves,

21:13  and said to them, It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers."

21:14  Then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

21:15  But the chief priests and the scribes, seeing the wonders which he performed, and the boys crying in the temple, Hosanna to the Son of David,

21:16  said to him with indignation, Do you hear what these say? Jesus answered, Yes. Have you never read, "From the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast procured praise?"

21:17  And leaving them, he went out of the city of Bethany, where he remained that night.

21:18  Returning to the city in the morning, he was hungry,

21:19  and seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it; but finding only leaves on it, said, Let no fruit grow on you henceforward. And the fig tree withered forthwith.

21:20  When the disciples saw it, they said with astonishment, how soon is the fig tree withered?

21:21  Jesus answered, Indeed, I say to you, if you have an unshaken faith, you may not only do as much as is done to the fig tree, but even if you should say to this mountain, Be lifted up, and thrown into the sea, it shall be done.

21:22  Whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, with faith, you shall receive.

21:23  Being come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came near, as he was teaching, and said, by what authority do you these things?

21:24  Jesus answering, said to them, I also have a question to propose, which if you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

21:25  Whence had John authority to immerse? From heaven or from men? Then they reasoned thus within themselves: If we say, From heaven, he will retort, Why then did you not believe him?

21:26  And if we say, From men, we dread the multitude, amongst whom John is universally accounted a prophet.

21:27  They, therefore, answered him, We can not tell. Jesus replied, Neither do I tell you, by what authority I do these things.

21:28  But what do you think of this? A man had two sons, and addressing his elder son, said, Son, go work today in any vineyard.

21:29  He answered, I will not, but afterward repented and went.

21:30  Then addressing the younger, he bade him likewise. He answered, Immediately, Sir, but went not.

21:31  Now, which of the two obeyed his father? They said, The first. Jesus replied, Indeed, I say to you, even the publicans and harlots show you the way into the kingdom of God.

21:32  For John came to you in the way of sanctity, and you believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: yet you who saw this, did not afterward repent and believe him.

21:33  Hear another parable: A landlord planted a vineyard, and hedged it round, and digged a wine press in it, and built a tower; and having farmed it out, went abroad.

21:34  When the vintage approached, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive the fruits.

21:35  But they seized his servants, beat one, drove away with stones another, and killed another.

21:36  Again he sent other servants more respectable; but they received the same treatment;

21:37  finally he sent his son to them: for he said, They will reverence my son.

21:38  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and keep possession of his inheritance.

21:39  Then they seized him, thrust him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

21:40  When, therefore, the proprietor of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen?

21:41  They answered, He will put those wretched to a wretched death, and will let the vineyard to others, who will render him the fruits in the season.

21:42  Jesus replied, Did you never read in the scriptures, "A stone which the builders rejected, is made the head of the corner? This the Lord has effected, and we behold it with admiration."

21:43  Know, therefore, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation who will produce the fruits of it.

21:44  For whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be bruised; and on whomsoever it shall fall, it will crush him to pieces.

21:45  The chief priests and the Pharisees hearing his parables, perceived that he spoke of them;

21:46  but though they wished to lay hold on him, they were afraid of the populace, who reckoned him a prophet.