The Triumphal Entry

1 aAs they * approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and bBethany, near cthe Mount of Olives, He * sent two of His disciples,

2 and * said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

3 “If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he 1will send it back here.”

4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they * untied it.

5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

7 aThey * brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.

8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.

9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

“Hosanna!

aBlessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;

Hosanna ain the highest!”

11 aJesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, bHe left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

12 aOn the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry.

13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.