The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 21 -

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)

And when they drewe neere to Hierusalem, and were come to Bethphage, vnto the mount of the Oliues, then sent Iesus two disciples,

Saying to them, Goe into the towne that is ouer against you, and anon yee shall finde an asse bounde, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them vnto me.

And if any man say ought vnto you, say ye, that the Lord hath neede of them, and straightway he will let them goe.

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

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Beholde, thy King commeth vnto thee, meeke and sitting vpon an asse, and a colte, the foale of an asse vsed to the yoke.

So the disciples went, and did as Iesus had commanded them,

And brought the asse and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and set him thereon.

And a great multitude spred their garments in the way: and other cut downe branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

Moreouer, the people that went before, and they also that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid, Blessed be hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna thou which art in the highest heauens.

And when he was come into Hierusalem, all the citie was mooued, saying, Who is this?

And the people said, This is Iesus that Prophet of Nazareth in Galile.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)

And Iesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that solde and bought in the Temple, and ouerthrew the tables of the money chagers, and the seates of them that sold doues,

And said to them, it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer: but ye haue made it a denne of theeues.

Then the blinde, and the halt came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.

But when the chiefe priestes and Scribes sawe the marueiles that hee did, and the children crying in the Temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid, they disdained,

And said vnto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Iesus said vnto them, Yea: read ye neuer, By the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast made perfite the praise?

So hee left them, and went out of the citie vnto Bethania, and lodged there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)

And in the morning, as he returned into the citie, he was hungrie,

And seeing a figge tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaues onely, and said to it, Neuer fruite grow on thee henceforwards. And anon the figge tree withered.

And when his disciples saw it, they marueiled, saying, How soone is the figge tree withered!

And Iesus answered and said vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, if ye haue faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only doe that, which I haue done to the figge tree, but also if ye say vnto this mountaine, Take thy selfe away, and cast thy selfe into the sea, it shalbe done.

And whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer, if ye beleeue, ye shall receiue it.

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)

And whe he was come into the Temple, the chiefe Priestes, and the Elders of the people came vnto him, as he was teaching, and saide, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authoritie?

Then Iesus answered and said vnto them, I also will aske of you a certaine thing, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authoritie I doe these things.

The baptisme of Iohn, whence was it? from heauen, or of men? Then they reasoned among themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say vnto vs, Why did ye not then beleeue him?

And if we say, Of men, we feare the multitude, for all holde Iohn as a Prophet.

Then they answered Iesus, and said, We can not tell. And he said vnto them, Neither tell I you by what authoritie I doe these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

But what thinke ye? A certaine man had two sonnes, and came to the elder, and saide, Sonne, goe and worke to day in my vineyarde.

But he answered, and said, I will not: yet afterward he repented himselfe, and went.

Then came he to the second, and said likewise. And he answered, and said, I will, Syr: yet he went not.

Whether of them twaine did the will of the father? They saide vnto him, The first. Iesus saide vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, that the Publicanes and the harlots goe before you into the kingdome of God.

For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnes, and yee beleeued him not: but the Publicanes, and the harlots beleeued him, and ye, though ye sawe it, were not mooued with repentance afterward, that ye might beleeue him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)

Heare another parable, There was a certaine housholder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and made a winepresse therein, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a strange countrey.

And when the time of the fruite drewe neere, hee sent his seruants to the husbandmen to receiue the fruites thereof.

And ye husbandmen tooke his seruants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Againe hee sent other seruants, moe then the first: and they did the like vnto them.

But last of all he sent vnto them his owne sonne, saying, They will reuerence my sonne.

But when the husbandmen saw the sonne, they saide among themselues, This is the heire: come, let vs kill him, and let vs take his inheritance.

So they tooke him, and cast him out of the vineyarde, and slewe him.

When therefore the Lord of the vineyarde shall come, what will hee doe to those husbandmen?

They saide vnto him, Hee will cruelly destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard vnto other husbandmen, which shall deliuer him the fruites in their seasons.

Iesus saide vnto them, Read ye neuer in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders refused, the same is made the head of the corner? This was the Lordes doing, and it is marueilous in our eyes.

Therefore say I vnto you, The kingdome of God shalbe taken from you, and shalbe giuen to a nation, which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof.

And whosoeuer shall fall on this stone, he shalbe broken: but on whomsoeuer it shall fall, it will dash him a pieces.

And when the chiefe Priestes and Pharises had heard his parables, they perceiued that hee spake of them.

And they seeking to laye handes on him, feared the people, because they tooke him as a Prophet.

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)

When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage,(a) to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

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

“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(b)

The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them,

and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.

A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna

(c)

to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (d)

When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”

The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)

Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.

He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ (e) but you have made it a den of robbers!” (f)

The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,

and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?” (g)

He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)

Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.

All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)

When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”

Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’

He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.

He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)

“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.

When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.

The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.

But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’

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

When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’? (h)

“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.

When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

Footnotes

(a)21:1 TR &NU read “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage”

(b)21:5 ℘ Zechariah 9:9

(d)21:9 ℘ Psalms 118:26

(e)21:13 ℘ Isaiah 56:7

(f)21:13 ℘ Jeremiah 7:11

(g)21:16 ℘ Psalms 8:2

(h)21:42 ℘ Psalms 118:22-23