Matthew 21

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead,

2Saying to them: Go into the village ahead of you. There you will find a donkey tied there, with a colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me.

3If anyone says anything to you, tell him: The Lord needs them, and He will send them right away.

4This happened so that what the prophet had said would come true:

5Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

6The disciples went and did just as Jesus had told them.

7They brought the donkey and the colt and put their coats on them, and Jesus sat on them.

8A very large crowd spread their coats on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9The crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked: Who is this?

11The crowds answered: This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

12Jesus went into the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

13Jesus said to them: It is written: My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of robbers.

14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were very angry.

16They asked Him: Do you hear what these children are saying? Yes, Jesus answered. Have you never read: Out of the mouths of children and infants you have called forth praise?

17Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

18Early in the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.

19Seeing a fig tree beside the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it: May you never bear fruit again! At once the tree withered.

20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and asked: How did the fig tree wither so quickly?

21Jesus replied: I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but you can also say to this mountain: Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will happen.

22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

23When Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching. They asked: By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?

24Jesus answered: I will also ask you one question. If you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25John's baptism — where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from men? They discussed it among themselves: If we say, From heaven, He will ask us, Then why did you not believe him?

26But if we say, From men, we are afraid of the crowd, because everyone considers John to be a prophet.

27So they answered Jesus: We do not know. Jesus said: Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said: Son, go and work today in the vineyard.

29The son answered: I will not. But later he changed his mind and went.

30The father went to the second son and said the same thing. This son answered: I will, sir. But he did not go.

31Which of the two did what his father wanted? The first, they answered. Jesus said to them: I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

32For John came to you showing the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not change your minds and believe him.

33Listen to another teaching story: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some farmers and went away on a journey.

34When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit.

35The farmers seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36Then he sent other servants, more than the first time, and the farmers treated them the same way.

37Finally, he sent his son to them, saying: They will respect my son.

38But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other: This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.

39So they took him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40So when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?

41They answered him: He will destroy those wicked men without mercy and rent the vineyard out to other farmers who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.

42Jesus said to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is wonderful to see?

43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

44Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' teaching stories, they knew He was speaking about them.

46They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds believed He was a prophet.