NOW when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 Sayng to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.

3 "Ant if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."

4 All this was done that it might be fulfiled which was spoken by the prophet, saying :

5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'behold, your King is coming to you, lowely, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

6 So the disciple went and did as Jesus commanded them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt,  laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 Then the multitude who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem all the city was moved, saying," Who is this?"

11 So the multitude said," This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who brought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13 And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of praer, 'but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed  them.

15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wounderful thngs that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying the Son of David!" they were indignant.

16 And said to Him," Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read,' Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'? "

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

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

19 And seeing a fig tree the rad, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it," Let no fruit grow on yor ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the diciple saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so soon?"

21 So Jesus answered and said to them," Assuredly, I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt, you wil not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you  say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.

22 "And whaever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priess and the eldrers of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said," By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? "

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 "The baptism of John - where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven, 'He will say to us,' Why then did you not believe him?'

26 "But if we say, "From men, we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."

27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." And He said to them," Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineard.'

29 "He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.

30 "Then he came to the second and said likewise . And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did  not go.

31 "Which of the two di the will of his father? " Jesus sid to Him, "The first." Jesus said o Him, suredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the the kngdom of God before you.

32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him

33 "Hear another parable: there  was a certain landlord who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around  it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedresers and went into a far country.

34 "Now when vintage - time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35 "And the vinedressers took his servants, beat, killed one, and stoned another.

36 "Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37 "Then last of all he sent his son to them, 'They will respect my son.'

38 "But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves,' This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'

39 "So they took him and cast him out of the vineard and killed him.

40 "Therefore, when the owne of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?

41 They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who render to him the fruit in their seasons."

42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

44 "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind hin to powder."

45 Now when the chief priest and Pharisees heard His parable, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feard the multitudes because they took Him for a prophet.MATTHEW 21