Jesus rides into Jerusalem to crowds crying Hosanna, then drives the traders from the temple. When his authority is questioned, he tells parables of two sons and of wicked husbandmen.
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem , and were come to Bethphage , unto the mount of Olives , then sent Jesus two disciples ,
2 Saying unto them , Go into the village over against you , and straightway ye shall find an ass tied , and a colt with her : loose them, and bring them unto me .
3 And if any man say ought unto you , ye shall say , The Lord hath need of them ; and straightway he will send them .
4 All this was done , that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , saying ,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion , Behold , thy King cometh unto thee , meek , and sitting upon an ass , and a colt the foal of an ass .
6 And the disciples went , and did as Jesus commanded them ,
7 And brought the ass , and the colt , and put on them their clothes , and they set him thereon .
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way ; others cut down branches from the trees , and strawed them in the way .
9 And the multitudes that went before , and that followed , cried , saying , Hosanna to the Son of David : Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest .
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem , all the city was moved , saying , Who is this ?
11 And the multitude said , This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee .
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God , and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple , and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers , and the seats of them that sold doves ,
13 And said unto them , It is written , My house shall be called the house of prayer ; but ye have made it a den of thieves .
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple ; and he healed them .
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did , and the children crying in the temple , and saying , Hosanna to the Son of David ; they were sore displeased ,
16 And said unto him , Hearest thou what these say ? And Jesus saith unto them , Yea ; have ye never read , Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ?
17 And he left them , and went out of the city into Bethany ; and he lodged there .
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city , he hungered .
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way , he came to it , and found nothing thereon , but leaves only , and said unto it , Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever . And presently the fig tree withered away .
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled , saying , How soon is the fig tree withered away !
21 Jesus answered and said unto them , Verily I say unto you , If ye have faith , and doubt not , ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree , but also if ye shall say unto this mountain , Be thou removed , and be thou cast into the sea ; it shall be done .
22 And all things , whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer , believing , ye shall receive .
23 And when he was come into the temple , the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching , and said , By what authority doest thou these things ? and who gave thee this authority ?
24 And Jesus answered and said unto them , I also will ask you one thing , which if ye tell me , I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things .
25 The baptism of John , whence was it ? from heaven , or of men ? And they reasoned with themselves , saying , If we shall say , From heaven ; he will say unto us , Why did ye not then believe him ?
26 But if we shall say , Of men ; we fear the people ; for all hold John as a prophet .
27 And they answered Jesus , and said , We cannot tell . And he said unto them , Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things .
28 But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons ; and he came to the first , and said , Son , go work to day in my vineyard .
29 He answered and said , I will not : but afterward he repented , and went .
30 And he came to the second , and said likewise . And he answered and said , I go, sir : and went not .
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father ? They say unto him , The first . Jesus saith unto them , Verily I say unto you , That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you .
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness , and ye believed him not : but the publicans and the harlots believed him : and ye , when ye had seen it, repented not afterward , that ye might believe him .
33 Hear another parable : There was a certain householder , which planted a vineyard , and hedged it round about , and digged a winepress in it , and built a tower , and let it out to husbandmen , and went into a far country :
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near , he sent his servants to the husbandmen , that they might receive the fruits of it .
35 And the husbandmen took his servants , and beat one , and killed another , and stoned another .
36 Again , he sent other servants more than the first : and they did unto them likewise .
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son , saying , They will reverence my son .
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son , they said among themselves , This is the heir ; come , let us kill him , and let us seize on his inheritance .
39 And they caught him , and cast him out of the vineyard , and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh , what will he do unto those husbandmen ?
41 They say unto him , He will miserably destroy those wicked men , and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen , which shall render him the fruits in their seasons .
42 Jesus saith unto them , Did ye never read in the scriptures , The stone which the builders rejected , the same is become the head of the corner : this is the Lord's doing , and it is marvellous in our eyes ?
43 Therefore say I unto you , The kingdom of God shall be taken from you , and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof .
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken : but on whomsoever it shall fall , it will grind him to powder .
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables , they perceived that he spake of them .
46 But when they sought to lay hands on him , they feared the multitude , because they took him for a prophet .