Modern Literal Version
[Matthew 21]

          {The week of Jesus' crucifixion. Mar 11:1-11 & Mat 21:1-12, 14-17 & Luk 19:29-44 & Joh 12:12-19 Bethany to Jerusalem and back Sun., April 2, 30 AD.}

     ^21:1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, toward the Mountain of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, ^21:2 saying to them, Travel^* into the village which is in front of you^*, and immediately you^* will be finding a donkey that has been tied and a young-donkey {i.e. a foal} with her. When you^*have loosed them, lead^*them to me. ^21:3And if anyone says anything to you^*, You^* will say, The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will be sending them.^21:4 Now this whole thing has happened, in order that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ^21:5 'Say^* to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek and has beenmounted upon a donkey and a young-donkey, the son of a donkey.' {Isa 62:11 & Zec 9:9}^21:6 Now the disciples traveling on, did^* just-as Jesus commanded them, ^21:7 they led the donkey and the young-donkey and placed their garments upon them, and he sat upon them. ^21:8 But most of the crowd spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.

     ^21:9 Now the crowds who precede him and who are following him, were crying, saying, 'Hosanna to the son of David! He who is coming in the name of the Lord has been blessed!' Hosanna in the highest!' {Psa 118:25-26}^21:10 And when he entered into Jerusalem, all the city was shaken up, saying, Who is this one?

     ^21:11 But the crowds were saying, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

     {Mar 11:12-18 & Mat 21:18, 19, 12, 13 & Luk 19:45-48 Road from Bethany to Jerusalem Mon.}

     ^21:12 And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all the ones who are selling and buying in the temple, and turned over the tables of the brokers and the chairs of those selling the doves; ^21:13and he says to them, It has been written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you^* made^*it a den of robbers.{Isa 56:7 & Jer 7:11}

     ^21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. ^21:15 But after the high-priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things which he did^*, and the boys crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David!

     They were indignant, ^21:16 and said to him, Do you hear what these are saying?

     But Jesus says to them, Yes. Did you^* never read, 'You completed for yourself praise out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies.'{Psa 8:2}^21:17 And having left them, he went forth outside the city to Bethany, and camped there.

     ^21:18 Now in the morning, while leading them back to the city, he hungered. ^21:19 And having seen one fig tree upon the road, he came upon it and found nothing in it, except foliage only, and he says to it, Let it happen that there is no fruit from you any longer, forever. And instantly the fig tree dried up.

     {Mar 11:19-26 & Mat 21:20-22 & Luk 21:37-38 Road from Bethany to Jerusalem Tues.}

     ^21:20 And after the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How did the fig tree instantly dry up?

     ^21:21 Now Jesus answered and said to them, Assuredly I am saying to you^*, If you^* have faith and do not doubt, you^* will not only be doing^* the miracle of the fig tree, but even if you^* say to this mountain, Be lifted up and cast yourself into the sea, it will happen. ^21:22And all things, as many things as you^* would ask in prayer, and believing, you^* will be receiving.

     {Mar 11:27-33 & Mat 21:23-27 & Luk 20:1-8 Courtyard of the Temple, Tues.}

     ^21:23 And he came by himself into the temple, the high-priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, saying, By what authority are you doing^* these things? And who gave you this authority?

     ^21:24 But Jesus answered and said to them, I will also ask you^* onequestion, which if you^* tell me, then I will also tell you^* by what authority I am doing^* these things. ^21:25The immersion^* of John, where was it from, from heaven or from men?

     Now they were reasoning with themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven; he will say to us, Therefore why did you^* not believe him? ^21:26 But if we say, From men; we fear the crowd; for^* all are holding John up like a prophet. ^21:27 And they answered Jesus and said, We do not know.

     He also said to them, Nor do I tell you^* by what authority I am doing^* these things.

     {Mat 21:28-32; no parallel.}

     ^21:28But what do you^* think? A man had two children, and he came near to the first and said, Child, proceed on, work today in my vineyard.

     ^21:29But he answered and said, I am not willing, but later he regretted it and went.

     ^21:30And he came to the second and said likewise^*. But he answered and said, I will go lord, and did not go. ^21:31Who out of the two did^* the will of his father?

     They say to him, The first.

     Jesus says to them, Assuredly I am saying to you^*, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes willprecede you^* into the kingdom of God. ^21:32For^* John came to you^* in the way of righteousness, and you^* did not believe in him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed in him, and thenhaving seen it, you^* did not even regret it later, that you^* might believe in him.

     {Mar 12:1-12 & Mat 21:33-46 & Luk 20:9-19.}

     ^21:33Hear^* another parable: there was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and placed a fence around it, and shoveled a winepress in it, and built a tower and rented it out to farmers, and went-abroad. ^21:34Now when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his bondservants to the farmers, to receive his fruits. ^21:35And then the farmers took his bondservants and whipped one, and killed one and stoned one. ^21:36Again, he sent other bondservants, more-than the first, and they did^* to them likewise^*. ^21:37 But later he sent to them his son, saying, They will revere my son. ^21:38But the farmers, after they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir. Come-here^*. We should kill him, and we might hold-onto his inheritance. ^21:39And having taken him, they cast him forth outside the vineyard, and killed him. ^21:40 Therefore, whenever the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do^* to those farmers?

     ^21:41 They say to him, He will evilly be destroying those evil men, and will be renting the vineyard to other farmers, who will be giving to him the fruits at their seasons.

     ^21:42 Jesus says to them, Did you^* never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected^*, this became the head of the corner; this came^* from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes?{Psa 118:22-23}^21:43Because of this, I am saying to you^*, The kingdom of God will be taken away from you^*, and will be given to a nation producing the fruits of it. ^21:44And he who has fallen upon this stone, will be shattered, but upon whomever it falls, it will be smashing him.^21:45 And afterthe high-priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he is speaking concerning them.^21:46 And seeking to take-hold of him, but they feared the crowds, since they were holding him up like a prophet.

Modern Literal Version Preface & Appendix , copyright 1987, 1999, 2013 by G. Allen Walker for the MLV New Testament Committee.
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