Luke 19:29–24:53

29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives,g he sent two of the disciples 30 and said, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

32 So those who were sent left and found it just as he had told them.h 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 “The Lord needs it,” they said. 35 Theni they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their clothes on the colt, they helped Jesus get on it.j 36 As he was going along, they were spreading their clothes on the road.k 37 Now he came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

38 Blessed is the Kingl who comes

in the name of the Lord.C,m

Peace in heaven

and gloryn in the highest heaven!o

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.”p

JESUS’S LOVE FOR JERUSALEM

41 As he approached and saw the city, he weptq for it, 42 saying, “If you knewr this day what would bring peace—but now it is hiddens from your eyes. 43 For the days will come on yout when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side.u 44 They will crush you and your children among you to the ground,v and they will not leave one stone on anotherw in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.”x

CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

45 Hey went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling,A 46 and he said, “It is written, my house will be a house of prayer,z but you have made it a den of thieves!”B,aa

47 Every day he was teachingab in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to killac him, 48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the peoplead were captivated by what they heard.

THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHALLENGED

20 Oneae day as he was teachingaf the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news,ag the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders,ah came 2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?”

3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”

5 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the peoplea will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”b 7 So they answered that they did not know its origin.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD OWNER

9 Nowc he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,d leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my belovede son. PerhapsC they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’f 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and killg those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “That must never happen!”h

17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture:A,i

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone?B,j

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”k

19 Then the scribes and the chief priestsl looked for a way to get their hands on himm that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.n

GOD AND CAESAR

20 Theyo watched closelyp and sent spiesq who pretended to be righteous,C so that they could catch him in what he said,r to hand hims over to the governor’st rule and authority. 21 They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,u and you don’t show partialityD,v but teach truthfully the way of God.w 22 Is it lawfulx for us to pay taxesy to Caesarz or not?”

23 But detecting their craftiness, he said to them,E 24 “Show me a denarius.F Whose image and inscription does it have?”

“Caesar’s,” they said.

25 “Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesaraa the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26 They were not able to catch him in what he said in public, and being amazed at his answer, they became silent.ab

THE SADDUCEES AND THE RESURRECTION

27 Someac of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,ad came up and questioned him: 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.G,ae 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 Also the secondH 31 and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

34 Jesus told them, “The children of this ageaf marry and are given in marriage.ag 35 But those who are counted worthyah to take part in that ageai and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die,aj because they are like angels and are children of God,ak since they are children of the resurrection. 37 Moses even indicated in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.I,al 38 He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living toJ him.”am

39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MESSIAH

41 Thenan he said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is the son of David?ao 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms:a

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right hand

43 until I make your enemies your footstool.’A,b

44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can the Messiah be his son?”c

WARNING AGAINST THE SCRIBES

45 Whiled all the people were listening, he said to his disciples, 46 “Bewaree of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.f 47 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”B

THE WIDOW’S GIFT

21 Heg looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.h 2 He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.B,i 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them.j 4 For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE PREDICTED

5 Ask some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “These things that you see—the days will comel when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”m

SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE

7 “Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”n

8 Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived.o For many will come in my name,p saying, ‘I am he,’q and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.r 9 When you hear of wars and rebellions,C don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

10 Then he told them, “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.s 11 There will be violent earthquakes,t and famines and plaguesu in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.v 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on youw and persecutex you. They will hand you over to the synagoguesy and prisons,z and you will be brought before kings and governorsaa because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.ab 14 Therefore make up your mindsD not to prepare your defense ahead of time,ac 15 for I will give you such wordsad and a wisdomae that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.af 16 You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends.ag They will kill some of you. 17 You will be hated by everyone because of my name,ah 18 but not a hair of your head will be lost.ai 19 By your endurance, gainA your lives.aj

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM

20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,ak then recognize that its desolational has come near. 21 Then those in Judea must fleeam to the mountains.an Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it, 22 because these are days of vengeanceao to fulfill all the things that are written. 23 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,ap for there will be great distress in the landB and wrath against this people. 24 They will be killed by the swordC,aq and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the GentilesD,ar until …