| New Living Translation | NET 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. | 1Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent 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 to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. 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 says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.'" |
| 4The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. | 4So they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. |
| 5As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” | 5Some people standing there said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" |
| 6They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. | 6They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go. |
| 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. | 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on 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 spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in 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! | 9Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! |
| 10Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!” | 10Blessed 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 to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late. |
| 12The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. | 12Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he 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. | 13After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for 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 | 14He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. |
| 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, | 15Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, |
| 16and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. | 16and he would not permit 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 he began to teach them and said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have turned it into 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. | 18The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. |
| 19That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city. | 19When 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. | 20In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the 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 and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered." |
| 22Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. | 22Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God. |
| 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. | 23I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says 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. | 24For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, 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 | 25Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins." |
| 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. | 27They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him |
| 28They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?” | 28and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?" |
| 29 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. | 29Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do 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 people? 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 discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why 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 people--'" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly 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 Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." |
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