Mark 11
1 As they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, by the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,
2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it.
3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’, say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.’”
4 They went and found a colt tied outside by a doorway, on the street, and untied it.
5 Some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 They answered as Jesus had told them, and the people let them go.
7 They brought the colt to Jesus, laid their cloaks on it, and Jesus sat on it.
8 Many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread branches they had cut from the fields.
9 Those going ahead and those following shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom, the kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 He 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.
12 The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, he was hungry.
13 Seeing a fig tree with leaves in the distance, he went to see if he could find anything on it. But when he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 Then he said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard him.
15 They came to Jerusalem. He entered the temple and began driving out those who were selling and those who were buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who sold doves,
16 and he would not let anyone carry anything through the temple.
17 He was teaching them and saying, “Isn't it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and looked for a way to kill him, because they were afraid of him; for the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
19 When evening came, they went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up.”
22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 That is why I tell you: whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive anyone you have something against, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses.”
27 They came again to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders came to him,
28 and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30 Was John's baptism from heaven or from people? Answer me.”
31 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?’
32 But should we say, ‘From people’?” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone considered John to be truly a prophet.
33 So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app