Matúš 21

1 Keď sa priblížili k Jeruzalemu a prišli do Betfage pri Olivovej hore, Ježiš poslal dvoch učeníkov2 a povedal im: „Choďte do dediny, čo je pred vami, a hneď nájdete priviazanú oslicu a s ňou osliatko! Odviažte ich a priveďte ku mne!3 A keby vám niekto niečo hovoril, povedzte: »Pán ich potrebuje.« A hneď ich prepustí.“4 Toto sa stalo, aby sa splnilo, čo predpovedal prorok:5 „Povedzte dcére sionskej: Hľa, tvoj Kráľ prichádza k tebe, tichý, sediaci na oslici, na osliatku, mláďati ťažného zvieraťa.“6 Učeníci šli a urobili, ako im Ježiš rozkázal.7 Priviedli oslicu a osliatko, pokládli na ne svoje plášte a on si na ne sadol.8 Veľké zástupy prestierali na cestu svoje plášte, iní odtínali zo stromov ratolesti a stlali ich na cestu.9 A zástupy, čo išli pred ním, i tie, čo šli za ním, volali: „Hosanna synovi Dávidovmu! Požehnaný, ktorý prichádza v mene Pánovom! Hosanna na výsostiach!“10 Keď vošiel do Jeruzalema, rozvírilo sa celé mesto; vypytovali sa: „Kto je to?“11 A zástupy hovorili: „To je ten prorok, Ježiš z galilejského Nazareta.“12 Ježiš vošiel do chrámu a vyhnal všetkých predavačov a kupujúcich v chráme. Peňazomencom poprevracal stoly a predavačom holubov stolice13 a povedal im: „Napísané je: »Môj dom sa bude volať domom modlitby.« A vy z neho robíte lotrovský pelech.“14 V chráme k nemu pristúpili slepí a chromí a on ich uzdravil.15 Keď veľkňazi a zákonníci videli divy, ktoré robil, a deti, čo v chráme volali: „Hosanna synovi Dávidovmu!“, nahnevali sa16 a povedali mu: „Počuješ, čo títo hovoria?“ Ježiš im odvetil: „Pravdaže. Nikdy ste nečítali: »Z úst nemluvniat a dojčeniec pripravil si si chválu«?“17 I nechal ich, vyšiel von z mesta do Betánie a tam zostal.18 Keď sa ráno vracal do mesta, pocítil hlad.19 Pri ceste videl figovník. Išiel k nemu, ale nenašiel na ňom nič, len lístie. Preto mu povedal: „Nech sa na tebe už nikdy neurodí ovocie.“ A figovník hneď vyschol.20 Keď to učeníci videli, zadivili sa a povedali: „Ako to, že figovník tak naraz vyschol?“21 Ježiš im na to povedal: „Veru, hovorím vám: Ak budete mať vieru a nebudete pochybovať, urobíte nielen to, čo sa stalo s figovníkom, ale keby ste aj tomuto vrchu povedali: »Zdvihni sa a hoď sa do mora,« stane sa to.22 A dostanete všetko, o čo budete s vierou prosiť v modlitbe.“23 Keď prišiel do chrámu a učil, pristúpili k nemu veľkňazi a starší ľudu a pýtali sa: „Akou mocou toto robíš? A kto ti dal túto moc?“24 Ježiš im povedal: „Aj ja sa vás na niečo spýtam. Ak mi odpoviete, i ja vám poviem, akou mocou toto robím.25 Odkiaľ bol Jánov krst? Z neba, či od ľudí?“ Oni rozmýšľali a hovorili si: „Ak povieme: »Z neba,« povie nám: »Prečo ste mu teda neuverili?«26 Ale ak povieme: »Od ľudí,« máme sa čo obávať zástupu, lebo Jána pokladajú všetci za proroka.“27 Odpovedali teda Ježišovi: „Nevieme.“ A on im odvetil: „Ani ja vám nepoviem, akou mocou toto robím.“28 „Čo poviete na toto? Istý človek mal dvoch synov. Prišiel k prvému a povedal mu: »Syn môj, choď dnes pracovať do vinice!«29 Ale on odpovedal: »Nechce sa mi.« No potom to oľutoval a išiel.30 Išiel k druhému a povedal mu to isté. Ten odpovedal: »Idem, pane!« Ale nešiel.31 Kto z týchto dvoch splnil otcovu vôľu?“ Odpovedali: „Ten prvý.“ Ježiš im povedal: „Veru, hovorím vám: Mýtnici a neviestky vás predchádzajú do Božieho kráľovstva.32 Lebo k vám prišiel Ján cestou spravodlivosti, a neuverili ste mu. Ale mýtnici a neviestky mu uverili. A vy, hoci ste to videli, ani potom ste sa nekajali a neuverili ste mu.33 Počujte iné podobenstvo: Istý hospodár vysadil vinicu. Obohnal ju plotom, vykopal v nej lis a postavil vežu. Potom ju prenajal vinohradníkom a odcestoval.34 Keď sa priblížil čas oberačky, poslal k vinohradníkom svojich sluhov, aby prevzali jeho diel úrody.35 Ale vinohradníci jeho sluhov pochytali; jedného zbili, iného zabili, ďalšieho ukameňovali.36 Znova poslal iných sluhov, viac ako predtým, ale aj s nimi urobili podobne.37 Napokon k nim poslal svojho syna, lebo si povedal: »K môjmu synovi budú mať úctu.«38 Ale keď vinohradníci zazreli syna, povedali si: »To je dedič. Poďte, zabime ho a jeho dedičstvo bude naše!«39 Chytili ho, vyvliekli z vinice a zabili.40 Keď potom príde pán vinice, čo urobí tým vinohradníkom?“41 Odpovedali mu: „Zlých bez milosti zahubí a vinicu prenajme iným vinohradníkom, ktorí mu budú načas odovzdávať úrodu.“42 Ježiš im povedal: „Nikdy ste nečítali v Písme: »Kameň, čo stavitelia zavrhli, stal sa kameňom uholným. To sa stalo na pokyn Pána; vec v našich očiach obdivuhodná«?43 Preto vám hovorím: Vám sa Božie kráľovstvo vezme a dá sa národu, ktorý bude prinášať úrodu.44 Kto padne na ten kameň, doláme sa, a na koho on padne, toho rozdlávi.“45 Keď veľkňazi a farizeji počuli tieto jeho podobenstvá, vybadali, že hovorí o nich.46 A chceli ho zajať, len sa báli zástupov, lebo ony ho pokladali za proroka.

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)

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)

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.