Matthew 21
1 And when Jesus drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and they 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 a colt tied; loose it, and bring it unto me; and if any shall say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of it; and straightway he will send it.
3 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
4 Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, and he is meek, and he is sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.
5 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them; and brought the colt, and put on it their clothes; and Jesus took the colt and sat thereon; and they followed him.
6 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed in the way.
7 And the multitudes that went before, and also that followed after, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
8 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
9 And the multitude said, This is Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet of Galilee.
10 And Jesus went into the temple of
God
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, 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; and said unto them,
11 It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
12 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
13 And when the chief priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children of the kingdom crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?
14 And Jesus said unto them, Yea; have ye never read the scriptures which saith, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, O Lord, thou hast perfected praise?
15 And he left them, and went out of the city unto Bethany, and he lodged there.
16 Now in the morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered.
17 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and there was not any fruit on it, but leaves only. And he said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward, for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
18 And when the disciples saw this, they marveled and said, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this 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.
20 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, in faith believing, ye shall receive.
21 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?
22 And Jesus answered and said unto them. I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I, likewise, will tell you by what authority I do these things.
23 The baptism of
John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men?
24 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people, For all people held
John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus and said, We cannot tell.
25 And he said, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
26 But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, saying, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.
27 He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went.
28 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I will serve; and went not.
29 Whether of these twain did the will of their father?
30 They say unto him, The first.
31 Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and harlots shall go into the kingdom of
God
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before you.
32 For
John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and bore record of me, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and ye, afterward, when ye had seen me, repented not, that ye might believe him.
33 For he that believed not
John concerning me, cannot believe me, except he first repent.
34 And except ye repent, the preaching of
John shall condemn you in the day of judgment. And, again, hear another parable; for unto you that believe not, I speak in parables; that your unrighteousness may be rewarded unto you.
35 Behold, there was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it; and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
36 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
37 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
38 Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise.
39 But last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
40 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.
41 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
42 And Jesus said unto them, When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
43 They say unto him, He will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
44 Jesus said 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 doings, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
45 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God
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shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
46 For whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
47 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
48 And they said among themselves, Shall this man think that he alone can spoil this great kingdom? And they were angry with him
49 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they learned that the multitude took him for a prophet.
50 And now his disciples came to him, and Jesus said unto them, Marvel ye at the words of the parable which I spake unto them?
51 Verily, I say unto you, I am the stone, and those wicked ones reject me.
52 I am the head of the corner. These Jews shall fall upon me, and shall be broken.
53 And the kingdom of
God
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shall be taken from them, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; (meaning the Gentiles.)
54 Wherefore, on whomsoever this stone shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
55 And when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, he will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let again his vineyard unto other husbandmen, even in the last days, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
56 And then understood they the parable which he spake unto them, that the Gentiles should be destroyed also, when the Lord should descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard, which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof.