Jesus rides on a donkey into the city of Jerusalem
1Jesus and his disciples were going to Jerusalem and they came to the 2 towns on the Mount_of_Olives. The names of the towns were Bethphage and Bethany. When they got there, Jesus sent 2 of his disciples 2and He told them: ‘Go into this town and, when you go in, you will see a donkey that is tied. No one has ever taken the donkey to ride on. Loosen the donkey and bring it here. 3When someone asks you why you have taken the donkey, you must say: “The Lord wants to use it but He will bring it back soon.” ’
4The 2 disciples went and they found the donkey tied to a door of a house. They untied the donkey 5and some of the people who stood there asked them: ‘What are you doing? Why do you untie the donkey?’ 6The disciples answered the people as Jesus had told them and the people let them take the donkey. 7The disciples took the donkey to Jesus and they took off their clothes and they put them on the donkey. Then Jesus sat on the donkey. 8Many people took off some of their clothes and they put them on the road for Jesus to ride on. Other people cut off branches from the trees outside the city and they put them down where Jesus would ride. 9There were many people who walked before Jesus and other people followed Him. They continued to shout_loudly and they said:
‘Praise God. Praise the Man who comes.
The Lord has sent Him to do his work.
10Praise Him. He will now begin to be King
over all the people of our forefather David.
Praise God in the highest heaven.’
11Jesus went into Jerusalem to the temple. He looked at everything. It was late in the day and He went back to the town of Bethany with his 12 disciples.
Jesus curses a fig tree
12The next day Jesus and his disciples went out of the town of Bethany. Jesus was hungry 13and He saw a fig tree full of leaves. The tree was far away and He went to the tree to see if there were figs on the tree to eat. When He came there, He saw there were no figs, only leaves. It was not the right time for figs. 14Jesus cursed the tree and He said to the tree: ‘No one will ever eat any fruit from you again.’
His disciples heard what He said.
Jesus chases away people from the temple-ground
15When Jesus and his disciples came into the city of Jerusalem He went to the temple-ground. There were people selling and buying things. Jesus chased them all away. He pushed over the tables of the people who exchanged money and the chairs of the people who were selling doves. 16He said no one should carry things over the temple-ground. 17Jesus started to teach the people and He said that it is written in the Old_Testament that God said:
‘The people will say my house is a place
where everyone will pray.
But you have changed it.
It is now a place where thieves come together.’
18The chief_priests and the teachers_of_the_Laws heard what Jesus said and they started to make plans to kill Jesus. But they were afraid of Him because the people were amazed at the things that Jesus said. 19That evening Jesus and his disciples went out of the city again.
The fig tree has died
20Jesus and his disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning. They saw that the tree was dead. It was dry from its roots to the top. 21Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree and he said to Jesus: ‘Lord, look, the fig tree that You have cursed is dead.’ 22Jesus answered:
‘You must believe in God. 23I tell you this and it is sure: If anyone says to this mountain: “Get up and jump into the sea,” then it will happen. But he must not doubt or think it will not happen. He must believe that it will happen. 24That is why I tell you: When you pray and you ask for something, then you must believe that you have received it and God will give you what you ask for.
25-26And when you stand up to pray and you are angry with someone, you must forgive him. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.’
Who said Jesus may do these things?
27Jesus and his disciples went back to Jerusalem. Jesus walked around the temple-ground. The chief_priests and the teachers_of_the_Laws and the family leaders came to Him. 28They asked Him: ‘Why do You think You may do these things? Who said You must do it?’
29But Jesus said to them: ‘I will ask you one question. If you answer Me, then I will tell you who said I must do these things. 30John the Baptist came and he baptised people. Who sent him to do it? Was it God or was it the people? Answer Me.’ 31The chief_priest and the teachers_of_the_Laws talked to each other and they said: ‘If we say it was God who sent him, then Jesus will ask: “Why did you not believe what John said?” 32But we can not say it was the people who sent John to baptise.’
The chief_priests and the teachers_of_the_Laws and the leaders were afraid of the crowd of people, because everyone thought that John really was a prophet. 33Then the teachers_of_the_Laws said to Jesus: ‘We do not know who sent John.’ And Jesus said to them: ‘Then I will not tell you who told Me that I may do these things.’
