馬太福音 21

榮入聖城

（可11．1－11；路19．28－38；約12．12－19）

1 耶穌和門徒快到耶路撒冷，進了橄欖山的伯法其時，打發兩個門徒， 2 對他們說：「你們往對面村子裏去，會立刻看見一匹驢拴在那裏，還有驢駒同在一處，解開牠們，牽到我這裏來。 3 若有人對你們說甚麼，你們就說：『主要用牠們。』那人會立刻讓你們牽來。」 4 這事發生是要應驗先知所說的話：

5 「要對錫安的兒女t說： 看哪，你的王來到你這裏， 謙和地騎著驢， 騎著小驢—驢的駒子。」

6 門徒就照耶穌所吩咐的去做， 7 牽了驢和驢駒來，把他們的衣服搭在上面，耶穌就騎上。 8 許許多多的人把自己的衣服鋪在路上，還有人砍下樹枝來鋪在路上。 9 前呼後擁的人群喊著說： 「和散那t歸於大衛之子！ 奉主名來的是應當稱頌的！ 至高無上的，和散那！」

10 耶穌進了耶路撒冷，全城都驚動了，說：「這是誰？」 11 眾人說：「這是從加利利的拿撒勒來的先知耶穌。」

潔淨聖殿

（可11．15－19；路19．45－48；約2．13－22）

12 耶穌進了聖殿t，趕出聖殿裏所有在做買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢之人的桌子和賣鴿子之人的凳子， 13 對他們說：「經上記著： 『我的殿要稱為禱告的殿， 你們倒使它成為賊窩了。』」

14 在聖殿裏有盲人和瘸子到耶穌跟前，他就治好了他們。 15 祭司長和文士看見耶穌所行的奇事，又見小孩子在聖殿裏喊著說：「和散那歸於大衛之子！」就很生氣， 16 對他說：「這些人所喊的，你聽到了嗎？」耶穌對他們說：「聽到了。經上說：『你藉孩童和吃奶的口發出完全的讚美』，你們沒有念過嗎？」 17 於是他離開他們，出城到伯大尼去，在那裏過夜。

詛咒無花果樹

（可11．12－14，20－24）

18 早晨回城的時候，他餓了， 19 看見路旁有一棵無花果樹，就走到跟前，在樹上找不到甚麼，只有葉子，就對樹說：「從今以後，你永不結果子！」那無花果樹立刻枯乾了。 20 門徒看見了，驚訝地說：「無花果樹怎麼立刻枯乾了呢？」 21 耶穌回答他們：「我實在告訴你們，你們若有信心，不疑惑，不但能行我對無花果樹所行的事，就是對這座山說：『離開此地，投在海裏！』也會實現。 22 你們禱告，無論求甚麼，只要信，就必得著。」

耶穌的權柄受到質問

（可11．27－33；路20．1－8）

23 耶穌進了聖殿，正教導人的時候，祭司長和百姓的長老來問他：「你仗著甚麼權柄做這些事？給你這權柄的是誰呢？」 24 耶穌回答他們說：「我也要問你們一句話，你們若告訴我，我就告訴你們我仗著甚麼權柄做這些事。 25 約翰的洗禮是從哪裏來的？是從天上來的，還是從人間來的呢？」他們彼此商議說：「我們若說『從天上來的』，他會對我們說：『這樣，你們為甚麼不信他呢？』 26 若說『從人間來的』，我們又怕眾人，因為大家都認為約翰是先知。」 27 於是他們回答耶穌：「我們不知道。」耶穌也對他們說：「我也不告訴你們，我仗著甚麼權柄做這些事。」

兩個兒子的比喻

28 「有一件事，你們的意見如何？一個人有兩個兒子。他來對大兒子說：『孩子，今天到葡萄園裏做工去。』 29 他回答：『我不去』，以後自己懊悔，就去了。 30 他來對小兒子也是這樣說。他回答：『父親大人，我去』，卻不去。 31 這兩個兒子是哪一個照著父親的意願做了呢？」他們說：「大兒子。」耶穌說：「我實在告訴你們，稅吏和娼妓倒比你們先進上帝的國。 32 因為約翰到你們這裏來指引你們走義路，你們卻不信他，稅吏和娼妓倒信了他。你們看見了以後，還是不悔悟去信他。」

惡園戶的比喻

（可12．1－12；路20．9－19）

33 「你們再聽一個比喻：有一個家的主人開墾了一個葡萄園，四周圍上籬笆，裏面挖了一個榨酒池，蓋了一座守望樓，租給園戶，就出外遠行去了。 34 收果子的時候快到了，他打發僕人到園戶那裏去收果子。 35 園戶拿住僕人，打了一個，殺了一個，用石頭打死了一個。 36 主人又打發別的僕人去，比先前更多；園戶還是照樣對待他們。 37 最後他打發自己的兒子到他們那裏去，說：『他們會尊敬我的兒子。』 38 可是，園戶看見他兒子，彼此說：『這是承受產業的。來，我們殺了他，佔他的產業！』 39 於是他們拿住他，把他扔出葡萄園外，殺了。 40 葡萄園的主人來的時候，要怎樣處置那些園戶呢？」 41 他們說：「要狠狠地除滅那些惡人，將葡萄園轉租給那些按時候交果子的園戶。」 42 耶穌對他們說： 「『匠人所丟棄的石頭 已作了房角的頭塊石頭。 這是主所做的， 在我們眼中看為奇妙。』 這段經文你們從來沒有念過嗎？

43 所以我告訴你們，上帝的國必從你們奪去，賜給那能結果子的民。 44 誰跌在這石頭上，一定會跌得粉碎；這石頭掉在誰的身上，就要把誰壓得稀爛。t」 45 祭司長和法利賽人聽見他的比喻，就看出他是指著他們說的。 46 他們想要捉拿他，但是懼怕眾人，因為眾人認為他是先知。

MATTHEW 21

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-38; John 12.12-19)

1 When Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem, he went to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and sent two of them on ahead. 2 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will at once find a donkey and her colt. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me.

3 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lordt needs them.’ He will at once let you have the donkeys.”

4 So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,

5  t “Announce to the people
of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
of a donkey.’ ”
6 The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do.

7 They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.
8 Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branchest which they had cut from trees.

9 t Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,
“Hoorayt for the Son of David!t
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”

10 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”

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

Jesus in the Temple

(Mark 11.15-19; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)

12 Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves.

13 t He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship.’ But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.”
14 Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David.t

16 t The men said to Jesus, “Don't you hear what those children are saying?”
“Yes, I do!” Jesus answered. “Don't you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises’?”

17 Then Jesus left the city and went out to the village of Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Puts a Curse //on a Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14,20-24)

18 When Jesus got up the next morning, he was hungry. He started out for the city,

19 and along the way he saw a fig tree. But when he came to it, he found only leaves and no figs. So he told the tree, “You will never again grow any fruit!” Right then the fig tree dried up.
20 The disciples were shocked when they saw how quickly the tree had dried up. 21 t But Jesus said to them, “If you have faith and don't doubt, I promise you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will.

22 If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”

A Question //about Jesus' Authority

(Mark 11.27-33; Luke 20.1-8)

23 Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things.

25 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
They thought it over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. 26 On the other hand, these people think John was a prophet, and we are afraid of what they might do to us. That's why we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.”

27 So they told Jesus, “We don't know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”

A Story about Two Sons

28 Jesus said:
I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, “Go work in the vineyard today!” 29 His son told him he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The man then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn't go.

31 Which one of the sons obeyed his father?
“The older one,” the chief priests and leaders answered.
Then Jesus told them:
You can be sure tax collectorst and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will!

32 t When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe.

Renters of a Vineyard

(Mark 12.1-12; Luke 20.9-19)

33  t Jesus told the chief priests and leaders to listen to this story:
A land owner once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.
34 When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the renters grabbed those servants. They beat up one, killed one, and stoned one of them to death.

36 He then sent more servants than he did the first time. But the renters treated them in the same way.
37 Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. 38 But when they saw the man's son, they said, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.”

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

40 Jesus asked, “When the owner of that vineyard comes, what do you suppose he will do to those renters?”

41 The chief priests and leaders answered, “He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.”

42  t Jesus replied, “You surely know that the Scriptures say,
‘The stone the builders
tossed aside
is now the most important
stone of all.
This is something
the Lord has done,
and it is amazing to us.’
43 I tell you God's kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands.

44 Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”t
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them. 46 So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought he was a prophet.