Matthew 21:12–27

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹²Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons, ^13*and said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!”

¹⁴The blind and the crippled came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵The chief priests and the teachers of the Law became angry when they saw the wonderful things he was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David’s Son!” ^16*So they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?”

“Indeed I do,” answered Jesus. “Haven’t you ever read this scripture? ‘You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.’ ”

¹⁷Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Curses the Fig-Tree

¹⁸On his way back to the city early next morning, Jesus was hungry. ¹⁹He saw a fig tree by the side of the road and went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to the tree, “You will never again bear fruit!” At once the fig tree dried up.

²⁰The disciples saw this and were astounded. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.

^21*Jesus answered, “I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself in the sea,’ and it will. ²²If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Question about Jesus’ Authority

²³Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, “What right have you to do these things? Who gave you this right?”

²⁴Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. ²⁵Where did John’s right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?”

They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ we are afraid of what the people might do, because they are all convinced that John was a prophet.” ²⁷So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.