Mark 11

The Triumphal Entry

1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, towards the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and immediately entering into it you will find a colt tied up on which no one has sat. When you have untied him, bring him. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of him,’ and immediately he will send it here."

4 And they departed, and found the colt tied up by the door outside in the street, and they untied him. 5 But some of those standing there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"

6 And they told them just as Jesus had commanded. And they gave them permission. 7 Then they led the colt to Jesus, and placed their clothes on him, and He sat on him. 8 And many spread their garments on the road, and others were cutting down branches from the trees and were spreading them on the road. 9 And those going before, and those that were following were crying out, saying:

"Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!"

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple. And having looked around at all things, the hour already being late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 Now the next day, after they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from a distance a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. And having come to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And answering, Jesus said to it, "May no one eat fruit from you ever again." And His disciples were listening.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And when Jesus entered into the temple, He began to throw out those selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those that sold doves. 16 And He would not permit anyone to carry a vessel through the temple. 17 And He was teaching, saying to them, "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves!’ " 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and they sought how they might destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 And when it became evening, He was going forth outside of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20 Now in the morning while passing by, they saw the fig tree dried up from its roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has dried up!" 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that the things which he says are coming to pass, whatever he says shall be his. 24 For this reason I say to you, all things whatsoever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive them, and they will be yours.

Forgiveness and Prayer

25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them, that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Jesus' Authority Questioned

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking about in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?" 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and you answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me." 31 And they were debating among themselves, saying, "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But should we say, ‘From men’ "—they feared the people, for all had considered John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 And answering they said to Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."