Mark 11

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:

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.

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.’