马太福音 21

骑驴进耶路撒冷

1 耶稣和门徒走近耶路撒冷，来到橄榄山的伯法其那里。耶稣派了两个门徒，2 对他们说：“你们往对面的村子里去，立刻就会看见一头驴拴在那里，还有小驴跟牠在一起。把牠们解开，牵来给我。3 如果有人问你们，就要说：‘主需要牠们。’他会立刻让你们牵走。”4 这件事应验了先知所说的：5 “要对锡安的居民说：
‘看哪，你的王来到你这里了；
他是温柔的，他骑着驴，骑的是小驴。’”6 门徒照着耶稣的吩咐去作。7 牵了驴和小驴来，把衣服搭在牠们上面，耶稣就骑上。8 有一大群人把自己的衣服铺在路上，也有人从树上把树枝砍下来，铺在路上。9 前呼后拥的群众喊叫着：
“‘和散那’归于大卫的子孙，
奉主名来的是应当称颂的，高天之上当唱‘和散那’。”10 耶稣进了耶路撒冷，全城都震动起来，他们问：“这人是谁？”11 大家都说：“这就是那先知耶稣，是从加利利的拿撒勒来的。”
洁净圣殿12 耶稣进了圣殿，把殿里所有作买卖的人赶走，并推倒找换银钱的人的桌子，和卖鸽子的人的凳子；13 又对他们说：“经上记着：
‘我的殿要称为祷告的殿。’
你们竟把它弄成贼窝了。”14 殿里的瞎子和瘸腿的都走过来，耶稣就医好他们。15 祭司长和经学家看见耶稣所行的奇事，又看见小孩子在殿中喊叫“‘和散那’归于大卫的子孙”，就很忿怒，16 对耶稣说：“你听见他们说甚么吗？”耶稣说：“我听见了。
‘你从小孩和婴儿的口中，
得着了讚美。’
这话你们没有念过吗？”17 于是离开他们，出了城，来到伯大尼，在那里过了一夜。
咒诅无花果树18 耶稣清早回城的时候，觉得饿了。19 他看见路旁有一棵无花果树，就走过去；但他在树上甚么也找不到，只有叶子，就对树说：“你永远不再结果子了。”那棵树就立刻枯萎。20 门徒看见了，十分惊奇，说：“这棵无花果树是怎样立刻枯萎的呢？”21 耶稣回答他们：“我实在告诉你们，如果你们有信心，不怀疑，不但能作我对无花果树所作的，就是对这座山说‘移开，投到海里去’，也必成就。22 你们祷告，无论求甚么，只要相信，都必得着。”
质问耶稣凭甚么权柄作事23 耶稣进了圣殿，正在教导人的时候，祭司长和民间的长老前来问他：“你凭甚么权柄作这些事？谁给你这权柄？”24 耶稣回答他们：“我也要问你们一句话，如果你们告诉我，我就告诉你们我凭甚么权柄作这些事。25 约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的呢？是从天上来的，还是从人来的呢？”他们就彼此议论：“如果我们说‘是从天上来的’，他会问我们‘那你们为甚么不信他呢？’26 如果我们说‘是从人来的’，我们又怕群众，因为他们都认为约翰是先知。”27 于是回答耶稣：“我们不知道。”耶稣也对他们说：“我也不告诉你们，我凭甚么权柄作这些事。
两个儿子的比喻28 “你们认为怎样？有一个人，他有两个儿子。他去对大儿子说：‘孩子，你今天到葡萄园去工作吧。’29 他说：‘我不想去。’但后来他改变主意，就去了。30 父亲又照样去吩咐小儿子。小儿子说：‘父亲，我会去的。’后来却没有去。31 这两个儿子，哪一个听父亲的话呢？”他们说：“大儿子。”耶稣对他们说：“我实在告诉你们：税吏和娼妓比你们先进 神的国。32 约翰来到你们那里，指示你们行义路，你们不信他；税吏和娼妓却信了他。你们看见了之后，还是没有改变心意去信他。
佃户的比喻33 “你们再听一个比喻：有一个家主，栽种了一个葡萄园，四面围上篱笆，在园子里挖了一个压酒池，盖了一座了望台，然后把园子租给佃户，就远行去了。34 到了收成的时候，园主派了仆人到佃户那里，收取应该纳给他的果子。35 佃户却抓住他的仆人，打伤一个，杀了一个，又用石头打死一个。36 于是园主再派其他的仆人去，人数比前一次更多，但佃户也是同样对付他们。37 最后，他派了自己的儿子去，说：‘他们必尊敬我的儿子。’38 佃户看见他的儿子，就彼此说：‘这是继承产业的；来，我们杀了他，佔有他的产业吧！’39 于是他们抓住他，把他推出葡萄园外杀了。40 那么，葡萄园的主人来到的时候，会怎样对待那些佃户呢？”41 他们回答：“他会毫不留情地除掉那些恶人，把葡萄园租给按时缴纳果子的佃户。”42 耶稣对他们说：“经上记着：
‘建筑工人所弃的石头，
成了房角的主要石头；
这是主所作的，
在我们眼中看为希奇。’
这话你们没有念过吗？43 因此我告诉你们， 神的国要从你们那里取去，赐给那结果子的外族人。44 谁跌在这石头上，就必摔碎；这石头掉在谁的身上，就必把他压得粉碎。”45 祭司长和法利赛人听了耶稣这些比喻，知道是指着他们说的。46 他们想要逮捕他，但又怕群众，因为他们都认为耶稣是先知。

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.