| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. | 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two of His disciples |
| 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. | 2and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. |
| 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” | 3If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.’ ” |
| 4The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. | 4So they went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it, |
| 5As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” | 5and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt?” |
| 6They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. | 6The disciples answered as Jesus had instructed them, and the people gave them permission. |
| 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. | 7Then they led the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it. |
| 8Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. | 8Many in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields. |
| 9Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! | 9The ones who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” |
| 10Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!” | 10“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” |
| 11So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples. Jesus Curses the Fig Tree | 11Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. |
| 12The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. | 12The next day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus was hungry. |
| 13He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. | 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. |
| 14Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it. Jesus Clears the Temple | 14Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement. |
| 15When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, | 15When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. |
| 16and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. | 16And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. |
| 17He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” | 17Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” |
| 18When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. | 18When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. |
| 19That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city. | 19And when evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city. |
| 20The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. | 20As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots. |
| 21Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” | 21Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.” |
| 22Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. | 22“Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. |
| 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. | 23“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. |
| 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. | 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. |
| 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. ” The Authority of Jesus Challenged | 25And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.” |
| 27Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. | 27After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him. |
| 28They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?” | 28“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?” |
| 29 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. | 29“I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. |
| 30 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!” | 30John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!” |
| 31They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. | 31They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ |
| 32But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. | 32But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet. |
| 33So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.” | 33So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” |
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