馬太福音 21

1 耶穌和門徒走近耶路撒冷，來到橄欖山的伯法其那裡。耶穌派了兩個門徒，2 對他們說：“你們往對面的村子裡去，立刻就會看見一頭驢拴在那裡，還有小驢跟牠在一起。把牠們解開，牽來給我。3 如果有人問你們，就要說：‘主需要牠們。’他會立刻讓你們牽走。”

4 這件事應驗了先知所說的：
5 “要對錫安的居民說：‘看哪，你的王來到你這裡了；
他是溫柔的，他騎著驢，騎的是小驢。’”
6 門徒照著耶穌的吩咐去作。7 牽了驢和小驢來，把衣服搭在牠們上面，耶穌就騎上。8 有一大群人把自己的衣服鋪在路上，也有人從樹上把樹枝砍下來，鋪在路上。

9 前呼後擁的群眾喊叫著：
“‘和散那’歸於大衛的子孫，
奉主名來的是應當稱頌的，高天之上當唱‘和散那’。”
10 耶穌進了耶路撒冷，全城都震動起來，他們問：“這人是誰？”

11 大家都說：“這就是那先知耶穌，是從加利利的拿撒勒來的。”
潔淨聖殿

12 耶穌進了聖殿，把殿裡所有作買賣的人趕走，並推倒找換銀錢的人的桌子，和賣鴿子的人的凳子；

13 又對他們說：“經上記著：
‘我的殿要稱為禱告的殿。’
你們竟把它弄成賊窩了。”
14 殿裡的瞎子和瘸腿的都走過來，耶穌就醫好他們。15 祭司長和經學家看見耶穌所行的奇事，又看見小孩子在殿中喊叫“‘和散那’歸於大衛的子孫”，就很忿怒，

16 對耶穌說：“你聽見他們說甚麼嗎？”耶穌說：“我聽見了。
‘你從小孩和嬰兒的口中，
得著了讚美。’
這話你們沒有念過嗎？”

17 於是離開他們，出了城，來到伯大尼，在那裡過了一夜。

咒詛無花果樹

18 耶穌清早回城的時候，覺得餓了。19 他看見路旁有一棵無花果樹，就走過去；但他在樹上甚麼也找不到，只有葉子，就對樹說：“你永遠不再結果子了。”那棵樹就立刻枯萎。20 門徒看見了，十分驚奇，說：“這棵無花果樹是怎樣立刻枯萎的呢？”21 耶穌回答他們：“我實在告訴你們，如果你們有信心，不懷疑，不但能作我對無花果樹所作的，就是對這座山說‘移開，投到海裡去’，也必成就。

22 你們禱告，無論求甚麼，只要相信，都必得著。”
質問耶穌憑甚麼權柄作事

23 耶穌進了聖殿，正在教導人的時候，祭司長和民間的長老前來問他：“你憑甚麼權柄作這些事？誰給你這權柄？”24 耶穌回答他們：“我也要問你們一句話，如果你們告訴我，我就告訴你們我憑甚麼權柄作這些事。25 約翰的洗禮是從哪裡來的呢？是從天上來的，還是從人來的呢？”他們就彼此議論：“如果我們說‘是從天上來的’，他會問我們‘那你們為甚麼不信他呢？’26 如果我們說‘是從人來的’，我們又怕群眾，因為他們都認為約翰是先知。”

27 於是回答耶穌：“我們不知道。”耶穌也對他們說：“我也不告訴你們，我憑甚麼權柄作這些事。
兩個兒子的比喻
28 “你們認為怎樣？有一個人，他有兩個兒子。他去對大兒子說：‘孩子，你今天到葡萄園去工作吧。’29 他說：‘我不想去。’但後來他改變主意，就去了。30 父親又照樣去吩咐小兒子。小兒子說：‘父親，我會去的。’後來卻沒有去。31 這兩個兒子，哪一個聽父親的話呢？”他們說：“大兒子。”耶穌對他們說：“我實在告訴你們：稅吏和娼妓比你們先進　神的國。

32 約翰來到你們那裡，指示你們行義路，你們不信他；稅吏和娼妓卻信了他。你們看見了之後，還是沒有改變心意去信他。
佃戶的比喻
33 “你們再聽一個比喻：有一個家主，栽種了一個葡萄園，四面圍上籬笆，在園子裡挖了一個壓酒池，蓋了一座瞭望臺，然後把園子租給佃戶，就遠行去了。34 到了收成的時候，園主派了僕人到佃戶那裡，收取應該納給他的果子。35 佃戶卻抓住他的僕人，打傷一個，殺了一個，又用石頭打死一個。36 於是園主再派其他的僕人去，人數比前一次更多，但佃戶也是同樣對付他們。37 最後，他派了自己的兒子去，說：‘他們必尊敬我的兒子。’38 佃戶看見他的兒子，就彼此說：‘這是繼承產業的；來，我們殺了他，佔有他的產業吧！’39 於是他們抓住他，把他推出葡萄園外殺了。40 那麼，葡萄園的主人來到的時候，會怎樣對待那些佃戶呢？”41 他們回答：“他會毫不留情地除掉那些惡人，把葡萄園租給按時繳納果子的佃戶。”

42 耶穌對他們說：“經上記著：
‘建築工人所棄的石頭，
成了房角的主要石頭；
這是主所作的，
在我們眼中看為希奇。’
這話你們沒有念過嗎？43 因此我告訴你們，　神的國要從你們那裡取去，賜給那結果子的外族人。

44 誰跌在這石頭上，就必摔碎；這石頭掉在誰的身上，就必把他壓得粉碎。”
45 祭司長和法利賽人聽了耶穌這些比喻，知道是指著他們說的。

46 他們想要逮捕他，但又怕群眾，因為他們都認為耶穌是先知。

Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry

1 Nowt when they approached Jerusalems and came to Bethphage,s at the Mount of Olives,s Jesus sent two disciples,2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you.t Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’s and he will send them at once.”

4 Thist took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:t

5 “Tell the people of Zion,t
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”t
6 Sot the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloakst on them, and he sat on them.8 At very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting,t “Hosannats to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!sHosanna in the highest!”10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar,t saying, “Who is this?”

11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareths in Galilee.”

Cleansing the Temple

12 Thent Jesus entered the temple areats and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts,ts and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.

13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’s but you are turning it into a dentof robbers!”s
14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them.15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the lawt saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts,t “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?”s

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

The Withered Fig Tree

18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.19 After noticing a fig treets by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once.20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”21 Jesust answered them, “I tell you the truth,t if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe,t you will receive.”

The Authority of Jesus

23 Now after Jesust entered the temple courts,t the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authorityt are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”24 Jesust answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?”ts They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.”

27 Sot they answered Jesus,t “We don’t know.”s Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell yous by what authorityt I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “Whatt do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’29 The boy answered,t ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heartt and went.30 The fathert went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,t ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.”s Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth,t tax collectorss and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Althought you saw this, you did not later change your mindss and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landownert who planted a vineyard.s He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Thent he leased it to tenant farmerss and went on a journey.34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slavests to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.t35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one,s killed another, and stoned another.36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way.37 Finally he sent his son to them,s saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’39 Sot they seized him,t threw him out of the vineyard,s and killed him.40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.ts
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?s
43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a peoplet who will produce its fruit.44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”ssts45 Whent the chief priests and the Phariseess heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowdst regarded him as a prophet.