光荣进圣城
1耶稣和门徒离耶路撒冷越来越近了，他们来到橄榄山旁的伯法其。 2耶稣派两个门徒进村，并对他们说：“你们到前面的村庄去，就会看见一头母驴拴在那里，旁边还有一头驴驹。你们把它们解开，牵到我这里。 3要是有人问起，你们就说，‘主要用它们’，那人会立刻让你们牵来。” 4这件事是要应验先知的话：
5“要对锡安城21:5 “城”希伯来文是“女子”，可能是对锡安的昵称。说，‘看啊，你的君王来了！祂谦卑地骑着驴，骑着一头驴驹。’”
6两个门徒照着耶稣的吩咐去了， 7把母驴和驴驹带了回来。他们把自己的衣服盖在驴背上，让耶稣骑上去。 8许多人把衣服铺在路上，也有些人砍下树枝铺在路上。 9众人前呼后拥，欢呼着说：
“和散那21:9 “和散那”原意是“拯救我们”，此处有“赞美”的意思。归于大卫的后裔！
奉主名来的当受称颂！
和散那归于至高之处的上帝！”
10耶稣进耶路撒冷时，全城轰动，说：“这是谁？”
11众人说：“祂是先知耶稣，来自加利利的拿撒勒。”
洁净圣殿
12耶稣进入圣殿，赶走里面做买卖的人，又推翻兑换钱币之人的桌子和卖鸽子之人的凳子。
13耶稣斥责他们说：“圣经上说，‘我的殿必称为祷告的殿。’你们竟把它变成了贼窝。”
14殿中的瞎子和瘸子都来到耶稣面前，祂便医好了他们。 15祭司长和律法教师看见祂所行的奇事，又听见小孩子在圣殿里高声喊着：“和散那归于大卫的后裔！”便十分恼怒。 16他们责问耶稣说：“你听见这些人说的了吗？”
耶稣说：“我听见了。圣经上说，‘你使孩童和婴儿口中发出颂赞’，你们没有读过吗？” 17然后，祂便离开他们，出城前往伯大尼，在那里住宿。
咒诅无花果树
18清早，耶稣在回城的途中饿了。 19祂看见路旁有一棵无花果树，便走过去，却发现除了叶子外什么也没有。
祂对那棵树说：“你将再不会结果子！”那棵树立刻枯萎了。
20门徒见了就惊奇地问：“这棵树怎么一下子枯萎了？”
21耶稣回答说：“我实在告诉你们，如果你们有信心、不怀疑，不但能使无花果树枯萎，就算对这座山说，‘从这里挪开，投进大海里！’也照样可以实现。 22所以，你们祷告时无论求什么，只要有信心，就必定得到。”
质问耶稣的权柄
23耶稣进了圣殿，正在教导人的时候，祭司长和民间的长老来质问祂：“你凭什么权柄做这些事？谁授权给你了？”
24耶稣说：“我也要问你们一个问题，你们回答了，我就告诉你们我凭什么权柄做这些事。 25约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？从天上来的，还是从人来的？”
他们便彼此议论说：“如果我们说‘是从天上来的’，祂一定会问我们，‘那你们为什么不信他？’ 26但如果我们说‘是从人来的’，又怕触怒百姓，因为他们相信约翰是个先知。” 27于是，他们回答耶稣说：“我们不知道。”
耶稣说：“我也不告诉你们我凭什么权柄做这些事。”
两个儿子的比喻
28耶稣又说：“你们怎样看这件事？某人有两个儿子。他对大儿子说，‘孩子，你今天到葡萄园工作吧！’
29“大儿子回答说，‘我不去！’但后来他改变了主意，就去了。
30“那父亲又对小儿子说，‘你今天到葡萄园工作吧！’小儿子回答说，‘好的，父亲。’他答应了，却没有去。
31“你们认为这两个儿子，到底哪一个服从父亲呢？”
他们回答道：“大儿子。”
耶稣说：“我实在告诉你们，税吏和娼妓要比你们先进上帝的国。 32因为约翰来指示你们当行的正路，你们不信他，但税吏和娼妓信了。你们亲眼看见了这些事，竟然还是执迷不悟，不肯信他。
恶毒的佃户
33“你们再听一个比喻。有个园主栽种了一个葡萄园，在园子的四周建造围墙，又在园中挖了一个榨酒池，建了一座瞭望台，然后把葡萄园租给佃户，就出远门了。 34到了收获的季节，园主派奴仆到佃户那里收果子。 35但那些佃户却抓住他的奴仆，打伤一个，杀死一个，又用石头打死了一个。 36于是，园主又派更多的奴仆去，结果也遭到同样的对待。 37最后，园主派了自己的儿子去，心想，‘他们肯定会尊重我的儿子。’ 38然而，那些佃户看见园主的儿子来了，就商量说，‘这是园主的继承人。来吧！我们杀掉他，占了他的产业！’ 39于是，他们抓住他，把他推出园外杀了。 40那么，当园主回来的时候，他会怎样处置那些佃户呢？”
41他们说：“他会毫不留情地除掉那些恶人，然后把葡萄园租给其他按时交果子的佃户。”
42耶稣说：
“‘工匠丢弃的石头已成了房角石。
这是主的作为，在我们看来奇妙莫测。’
你们难道没有读过这段经文吗？ 43所以，我告诉你们，将把上帝的国从你们那里夺去，赐给结果子的人。 44凡跌在这石头上的人，一定粉身碎骨；这石头落在谁身上，就会把谁砸烂。”
45祭司长和法利赛人听了耶稣的比喻，明白是针对他们讲的。 46他们试图逮捕耶稣，但又害怕百姓，因为百姓都认为耶稣是先知。
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. 2He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away.”
4This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,
5“Say to the city of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)
6The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
12Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. 13He said to them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be called a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it ‘a den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
14Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them. 15The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple courtyard shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But when they saw all this, they became angry.
16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus. “Haven’t you ever read about it in Scripture? It says,
“ ‘Lord, you have made sure that children and infants
praise you.’ ” (Psalm 8:2)
17Then Jesus left the people and went out of the city to Bethany. He spent the night there.
Jesus Makes a Fig Tree Dry Up
18Early in the morning, Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry. 19He saw a fig tree by the road. He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Right away the tree dried up.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.
21Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea.’ It will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.”
The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “Who gave you this authority?”
24Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from human authority?”
They talked to one another about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But what if we say, ‘From human authority’? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet.”
27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.
The Story of the Two Sons
28“What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29“ ‘I will not,’ the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went.
30“Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, ‘I will, sir.’ But he did not go.
31“Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.
The Story of the Renters
33“Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place. 34When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.
35“But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him. 36Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38“But the renters saw the son coming. They said to one another, ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.
40“When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?”
41“He will destroy those evil people,” they replied. “Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say,
“ ‘The stone the builders didn’t accept
has become the most important stone of all.
The Lord has done it.
It is wonderful in our eyes’? (Psalm 118:22,23)
43“So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”
45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ stories. They knew he was talking about them. 46So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
