Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Mark 11
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
When they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples.
He told 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 ridden. Untie it and bring it.
If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”
They went and found a colt tied outside at a doorway along the street, and they untied it.
Some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
The disciples answered just as Jesus had told them, and the people let them go.
They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it, and he sat on it.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields.
Those going ahead and those following were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest!”
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve because it was already late.
The Fig Tree and the Temple
The next day, after they left Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see whether he could find anything on it. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” His disciples heard him.
They came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.
He taught them, saying, “Is it not written,
‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”
The chief priests and scribes heard this and began looking for a way to destroy him, because they feared him; the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Faith, Prayer, and Forgiveness
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but trusts that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, trust that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.”
Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned
They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders came to him. They asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from human beings? Answer me.” They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not trust him?’ But can we say, ‘From human beings’?” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” Jesus said to them, “Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”