Matthew 21

All 46 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples.
2. 2He told them, "Go into the village just ahead of you. Right away you'll find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3. 3If anyone questions you, just say, 'The Lord needs them,' and they'll let you take them immediately."
4. 4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5. 5"Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey — on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
6. 6The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do.
7. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, draped their cloaks over them, and Jesus sat on them.
8. 8A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and laid them along the path.
9. 9The crowds walking ahead of him and those following behind kept shouting, "Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
10. 10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, asking, "Who is this?"
11. 11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
12. 12Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
13. 13He told them, "Scripture says, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you've turned it into a den of thieves!"
14. 14Blind and lame people came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things he was doing, and heard children shouting in the temple, 'Hosanna to the son of David!' they were very displeased.
16. 16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they demanded. Jesus replied, "Yes. Haven't you ever read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise'?"
17. 17Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18. 18In the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19. 19He spotted a fig tree by the road and went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Instantly the fig tree withered.
20. 20The disciples were stunned. "How did the fig tree wither so fast?" they asked.
21. 21Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth — if you have faith and don't doubt, you'll not only do what was done to this fig tree, but you could even say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it would happen.
22. 22Whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe, you will receive it."
23. 23When Jesus entered the temple and began teaching, the chief priests and elders of the people approached him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they demanded. "Who gave you this authority?"
24. 24Jesus replied, "I'll ask you one question first. If you answer me, I'll tell you by what authority I do these things.
25. 25John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from men? They debated among themselves: 'If we say, "From heaven," he'll ask us, "Then why didn't you believe him?"'
26. 26But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people, for everyone considers John a prophet.
27. 27So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." He replied, "Then I'm not going to tell you by what authority I do these things either.
28. 28But let me ask you this: A man had 2 sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go work in my vineyard today.'
29. 29The son answered, 'No, I won't.' But later he repented and went.
30. 30Then the father went to the second son and said the same thing. He answered, 'Sure, sir, I'll go' — but he never went.
31. 31Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first one," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth — tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32. 32John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn't believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after you saw that, you still didn't repent and believe him.
33. 33Listen to another parable: A landowner planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to some farmers and left for a distant country.
34. 34When harvest time came, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit.
35. 35But the farmers grabbed his servants — they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36. 36So the owner sent another group of servants, even more than the first time, and the farmers treated them the same way.
37. 37But last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, “They will honor my son.”
38. 38But when the farmers saw the son coming, they said to each other, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and take his inheritance for ourselves.'
39. 39So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40. 40Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what do you think he'll do to those farmers?"
41. 41They answered, "He'll bring those wretches to a miserable end and lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruits at each harvest season."
42. 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43. 43That's why I'm telling you: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44. 44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and anyone it falls on will be crushed to powder."
45. 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized he was talking about them.
46. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded Jesus as a prophet.