God's New Bible

The Gospel According to St. Mark

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 11 -

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
When Jesus and his disciples came near to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus called two of his disciples
2
and said to them, “Go to that village just ahead of us. As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied up that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it to me.
3
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing that?’ say, ‘The Lord needs to use it. He will send it back here with someone as soon as he no longer needs it.’”
4
So the two disciples went and found a young donkey. It was tied close to the door of a house, which was beside the street. Then they untied it.
5
Some of the people who were there said to them, “Why are you untying that donkey?”
6
They told them what Jesus had said. So the people permitted them to take the donkey.
7
The two disciples brought the donkey to Jesus and put their cloaks on it to make something for him to sit on.
8
Many people spread their cloaks on the road in front of him. Others cut branches from palm trees in nearby fields and spread them along the road.
9
The people who were going in front of him and behind him were all shouting, “Praise God!” and “May God bless this one who comes with his authority.”
10
They also shouted, “May you be blessed when you rule like our ancestor King David ruled!” and “Praise God who is in the highest heaven!”
11
Jesus entered Jerusalem with them, and then he went into the temple courtyard. After he looked around at everything there, he left the city because it was already late in the afternoon. He returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:20–25)
12
The next day, as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry.
13
He saw in the distance a fig tree with all its leaves, so he went to it to see if he could find any figs on it. But when he came to it, he found no fruit on it, because it was not yet the season for figs to appear.
14
He said to the tree, “No one will ever eat from you again.” And the disciples heard this.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Matthew 21:12–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
15
Jesus and his disciples went back into Jerusalem and entered the temple courtyard. He saw people who were selling and buying animals for sacrifices. He chased those people from the temple courtyard. He also overturned the tables of those who were selling temple tax money in exchange for Roman coins. And he overturned the seats of the men who were selling pigeons for sacrifice.
16
He would not allow anyone who was carrying anything to sell to go through the temple area.
17
Then as he taught those people, he said to them, “It is written in the scriptures that God said, ‘I want my house to be a house where people from all nations can pray,’ but you bandits have made it like a cave where robbers hide.”
18
The chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws later heard about what he had done. They were planning how they might kill him, but they feared him because they realized that the crowd was amazed at what he was teaching.
19
Every evening Jesus and his disciples would leave the city.

The Withered Fig Tree

(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–14)
20
The next morning while they were going along the road toward Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed had withered completely.
21
Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the fig tree and he said to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!”
22
Jesus replied, “Trust in God!
23
Also note this: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be raised up and thrown into the sea!’ and if he does not doubt that it will happen, that is, if he believes that it will happen, God will do it for him.
24
So I tell you, whenever you ask God for something when you pray, believe that you will receive it, and, if you do, God will do it for you.
25
Now, I tell you this also: Whenever you are praying, if you have a grudge against people because they have harmed you, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven will likewise forgive your sins.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Matthew 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8)
26
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.
27
Jesus and his disciples arrived in the temple courtyard in Jerusalem again. While Jesus was walking there, a group consisting of chief priests, some men who taught the Jewish laws, and elders came to him.
28
They said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things like those you did here yesterday?”
29
Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do those things.
30
Was it God who authorized John to baptize those who came to him? Or was it people who authorized him?”
31
They debated among themselves as to what they should answer. They said to each other, “If we say that it was God who authorized him, he will say to us, ‘Then you should have believed what John said!’
32
On the other hand, if we say that it was people who authorized John, then what will happen to us?” They were afraid to say that about John, because they knew that the people would be very angry with them. They knew that all the people truly believed that John was a prophet whom God had sent.
33
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know from whom John received his authority.” Then Jesus said to them, “Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things here yesterday.”
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1
When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage(a) and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples
2
and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him and bring him.
3
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.”
4
They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.
5
Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?”
6
They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.
7
They brought the young donkey to Jesus and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.
8
Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.
9
Those who went in front and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna!(b) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!(c)
10
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
11
Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:20–25)
12
The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.
13
Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14
Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Matthew 21:12–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
15
They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changerstables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
16
He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.
17
He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? (d) But you have made it a den of robbers!” (e)
18
The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
19
When evening came, he went out of the city.

The Withered Fig Tree

(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–14)
20
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
21
Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”
22
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23
For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening, he shall have whatever he says.
24
Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
25
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

(Matthew 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8)
26
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.” (f)
27
They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him,
28
and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
29
Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30
The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
31
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
32
If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.
33
They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Footnotes

(a)11:1 TR &NU read “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage”
(b)11:9 “Hosanna” means “save us” or “help us, we pray”.
(c)11:9 ℘ Psalms 118:25-26
(d)11:17 ℘ Isaiah 56:7
(e)11:17 ℘ Jeremiah 7:11
(f)11:26 NU omits verse 26.