Mark 11

1As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples

2and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that no one has ever sat on. Untie it and bring it.

3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”

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

5Some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

6They answered them just as Jesus had told them, and they let them go.

7They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields.

9Those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, he was hungry.

13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

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

15They came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves,

16and he would not allow anyone to carry goods through the temple.

17Then he taught them and said, “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they began looking for a way to destroy him. For they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

19When evening came, they went out of the city.

20In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.

21Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”

22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.

23Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

24Therefore I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

25And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your wrongdoings.”

26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoings.”]

27They came again to Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him

28and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”

29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from people? Answer me.”

31They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

32But should we say, ‘From people’?” They were afraid of the crowd, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.

33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”