The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 21 -

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)

And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples,

Saying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them to me.

And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them: and forthwith he will let them go.

Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke.

And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them.

And they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way:

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.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: Who is this?

And the people said: This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)

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 money changers, and the chairs of them that sold doves:

And he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.

And there came to him the blind and the lame in the temple; and he healed them.

And the chief priests and scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying: Hosanna to the son of David; were moved with indignation.

And said to him: Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus said to them: Yea, have you never read: Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And leaving them, he went out of the city into Bethania, and remained there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)

And in the morning, returning into the city, he was hungry.

And seeing a certain fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and he saith to it: May no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away.

And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: How is it presently withered away?

And Jesus answering, said to them: Amen, I say to you, if you shall have faith, and stagger not, not only this of the fig tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done.

And in all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)

And when he was come into the temple, there came to him, as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: By what authority dost thou these things? and who hath given thee this authority?

Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying:

If we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say, from men, we are afraid of the multitude: for all held John as a prophet.

And answering Jesus, they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work today in my vineyard.

And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went.

And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said: I go, Sir; and he went not.

Which of the two did the father’s will? They say to him: The first. Jesus saith to them: Amen I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)

Hear ye another parable. There was a man an householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen; and went into a strange country.

And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof.

And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Again he sent other servants more than the former; and they did to them in like manner.

And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son.

But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.

And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.

When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?

They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end; and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season.

Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them.

And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes: because they held him as a prophet.

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)

When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage,(a) to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(b)

The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them,

and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.

A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna

(c)

to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (d)

When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”

The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)

Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.

He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ (e) but you have made it a den of robbers!” (f)

The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,

and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?” (g)

He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

The Barren Fig Tree

(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)

Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.

All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)

When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”

Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’

He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.

He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)

“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.

When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.

The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.

But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’

So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.

When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’? (h)

“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.

When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

Footnotes

(a)21:1 TR &NU read “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage”

(b)21:5 ℘ Zechariah 9:9

(d)21:9 ℘ Psalms 118:26

(e)21:13 ℘ Isaiah 56:7

(f)21:13 ℘ Jeremiah 7:11

(g)21:16 ℘ Psalms 8:2

(h)21:42 ℘ Psalms 118:22-23