1THEY WERE NOW APPROACHING Jerusalem, and when they reached Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, 2he sent two of his disciples with these instructions: 'Go to the village opposite, and, just as you enter, you will find tethered there a colt which no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3If anyone asks, "Why are you doing that?", say, "Our Master needs it, and will send it back here without delay." ' 4So they went off, and found the colt tethered to a door outside in the street. 5They were untying it when some of the bystanders asked, 'What are you doing, untying that colt?' 6They answered as Jesus had told them, and were then allowed to take it. 7So they brought the colt to Jesus and spread their cloaks on it, and he mounted. 8And people carpeted the road with their cloaks, while others spread brushwood which they had cut in the fields; 9 [ Ps.118.25-26. ] and those who went ahead and the others who came behind shouted, 'Hosanna! 10Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the heavens!'
11He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple, where he looked at the whole scene; but, as it was now late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
12On the following day, after they had left Bethany, he felt hungry, 13and, noticing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. But when he came there he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to the tree, 'May no one ever again eat fruit from you!' And his disciples were listening.
15So they came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began driving out those who bought and sold in the temple. He upset the tables of the money-changers and the seats of the dealers in pigeons; 16and he would not allow anyone to use the temple court as a thoroughfare for carrying goods. 17 [ Is.56.7. ] Then he began to teach them, and said, 'Does not Scripture say, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations"? But you have made it a robbers' cave.' 18The chief priests and the doctors of the law heard of this and sought some means of making away with him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19And when evening came he went out of the city.
20Early next morning, as they passed by, they saw that the fig-tree had withered from the roots up; 21and Peter, recalling what had happened, said to him, 'Rabbi, look, the fig-tree which you cursed has withered.' 22Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God. 23I tell you this: if anyone says to this mountain, "Be lifted from your place and hurled into the sea", and has no inward doubts, but believes that what he says is happening, it will be done for him. 24I tell you, then, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.
25'And when you stand praying, if you have a grievance against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you the wrongs you have done.' 26
27THEY CAME ONCE MORE to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple court the chief priests, lawyers, and elders came to him 28and said, 'By what authority are you acting like this? Who gave you authority to act in this way?' 29Jesus said to them, 'I have a question to ask you too; and if you give me an answer, I will tell you by what authority I act. 30The baptism of John: was it from God, or from men? Answer me.' 31This set them arguing among themselves: 'What shall we say? If we say, "from God", he will say, "Then why did you not believe him?" 32Shall we say, "from men"?'- but they were afraid of the people, for all held that John was in fact a prophet. 33So they answered Jesus, 'We do not know.' And Jesus said to them, 'Then neither will I tell you by what authority I act.'
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