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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Matthew 21 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/matthew/21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/matthew/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Matthew 21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../matthew/20.htm" title="Matthew 20">◄</a> Matthew 21 <a href="../matthew/22.htm" title="Matthew 22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Jesus Enters Jerusalem</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="MRK 11:1-11">Mark 11.1-11</ref>; <ref loc="LUK 19:28-38">Luke 19.28-38</ref>; <ref loc="JHN 12:12-19">John 12.12-19</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_1"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.1" class="v40_21_1">1</span>When Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem, he went to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and sent two of them on ahead. </span><span class="v40_21_2"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.2" class="v40_21_2">2</span>He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will at once find a donkey and her colt. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me. </span><span class="v40_21_3"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.3" class="v40_21_3">3</span>If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.3!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> needs them.’ He will at once let you have the donkeys.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_4"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.4" class="v40_21_4">4</span>So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_5"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.5" class="v40_21_5">5</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.5!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> “Announce to the people</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_5">of Jerusalem:</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_5">‘Your king is coming to you!</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_5">He is humble</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_5">and rides on a donkey.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_5">He comes on the colt</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_5">of a donkey.’ ”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_6"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.6" class="v40_21_6">6</span>The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. </span><span class="v40_21_7"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.7" class="v40_21_7">7</span>They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_8"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.8" class="v40_21_8">8</span>Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.8!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> which they had cut from trees. </span><span class="v40_21_9"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.9" class="v40_21_9">9</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.9!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_9">“Hooray<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.9!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> for the Son of David!<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.9!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_9">God bless the one who comes</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_9">in the name of the Lord.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_9">Hooray for God</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_9">in heaven above!”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_10"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.10" class="v40_21_10">10</span>When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_11"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.11" class="v40_21_11">11</span>The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">Jesus in the Temple</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="MRK 11:15-19">Mark 11.15-19</ref>; <ref loc="LUK 19:45-48">Luke 19.45-48</ref>; <ref loc="JHN 2:13-22">John 2.13-22</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_12"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.12" class="v40_21_12">12</span>Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves. </span><span class="v40_21_13"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.13" class="v40_21_13">13</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.13!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship.’ But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_14"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.14" class="v40_21_14">14</span>Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. </span><span class="v40_21_15"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.15" class="v40_21_15">15</span>But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David.<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v40_21_16"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.16" class="v40_21_16">16</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.16!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The men said to Jesus, “Don't you hear what those children are saying?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_16">“Yes, I do!” Jesus answered. “Don't you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises’?” </span><span class="v40_21_17"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.17" class="v40_21_17">17</span>Then Jesus left the city and went out to the village of Bethany, where he spent the night.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="MRK 11:12-14">Mark 11.12-14</ref>,<ref loc="MRK 11:20-24">20-24</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_18"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.18" class="v40_21_18">18</span>When Jesus got up the next morning, he was hungry. He started out for the city, </span><span class="v40_21_19"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.19" class="v40_21_19">19</span>and along the way he saw a fig tree. But when he came to it, he found only leaves and no figs. So he told the tree, “You will never again grow any fruit!” Right then the fig tree dried up.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_20"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.20" class="v40_21_20">20</span>The disciples were shocked when they saw how quickly the tree had dried up. </span><span class="v40_21_21"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.21" class="v40_21_21">21</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.21!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But Jesus said to them, “If you have faith and don't doubt, I promise you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. </span><span class="v40_21_22"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.22" class="v40_21_22">22</span>If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">A Question about Jesus' Authority</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="MRK 11:27-33">Mark 11.27-33</ref>; <ref loc="LUK 20:1-8">Luke 20.1-8</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_23"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.23" class="v40_21_23">23</span>Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_24"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.24" class="v40_21_24">24</span>Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. </span><span class="v40_21_25"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.25" class="v40_21_25">25</span>Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_25">They thought it over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. </span><span class="v40_21_26"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.26" class="v40_21_26">26</span>On the other hand, these people think John was a prophet, and we are afraid of what they might do to us. That's why we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.” </span><span class="v40_21_27"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.27" class="v40_21_27">27</span>So they told Jesus, “We don't know.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_27">Jesus said, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”</span></p><h3 class="s1">A Story about Two Sons</h3><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_28"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.28" class="v40_21_28">28</span>Jesus said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v40_21_28">I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, “Go work in the vineyard today!” </span><span class="v40_21_29"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.29" class="v40_21_29">29</span>His son told him he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. </span><span class="v40_21_30"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.30" class="v40_21_30">30</span>The man then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn't go. </span><span class="v40_21_31"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.31" class="v40_21_31">31</span>Which one of the sons obeyed his father?</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_31">“The older one,” the chief priests and leaders answered.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_31">Then Jesus told them:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v40_21_31">You can be sure tax collectors<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.31!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! </span><span class="v40_21_32"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.32" class="v40_21_32">32</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.32!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Renters of a Vineyard</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="MRK 12:1-12">Mark 12.1-12</ref>; <ref loc="LUK 20:9-19">Luke 20.9-19</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_33"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.33" class="v40_21_33">33</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.33!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Jesus told the chief priests and leaders to listen to this story:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v40_21_33">A land owner once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v40_21_34"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.34" class="v40_21_34">34</span>When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes. </span><span class="v40_21_35"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.35" class="v40_21_35">35</span>But the renters grabbed those servants. They beat up one, killed one, and stoned one of them to death. </span><span class="v40_21_36"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.36" class="v40_21_36">36</span>He then sent more servants than he did the first time. But the renters treated them in the same way.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v40_21_37"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.37" class="v40_21_37">37</span>Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. </span><span class="v40_21_38"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.38" class="v40_21_38">38</span>But when they saw the man's son, they said, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” </span><span class="v40_21_39"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.39" class="v40_21_39">39</span>So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_40"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.40" class="v40_21_40">40</span>Jesus asked, “When the owner of that vineyard comes, what do you suppose he will do to those renters?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_41"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.41" class="v40_21_41">41</span>The chief priests and leaders answered, “He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_42"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.42" class="v40_21_42">42</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.42!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Jesus replied, “You surely know that the Scriptures say,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_42">‘The stone the builders</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_42">tossed aside</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_42">is now the most important</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_42">stone of all.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_42">This is something</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v40_21_42">the Lord has done,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v40_21_42">and it is amazing to us.’</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="m"><span class="v40_21_43"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.43" class="v40_21_43">43</span>I tell you God's kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands. </span><span class="v40_21_44"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.44" class="v40_21_44">44</span>Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Matt.21.44!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v40_21_45"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.45" class="v40_21_45">45</span>When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them. </span><span class="v40_21_46"><span class="reftext" id="Matt.21.46" class="v40_21_46">46</span>So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought he was a prophet.</span></p></div> </div> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.3 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">The Lord: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “The master of the donkeys.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">spread clothes … put down branches: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This was one way that the Jewish people welcomed a famous person.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Hooray: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This translates a word that can mean “please save us.” But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Son of David: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 9.27.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.15 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Son of David: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 9.27.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.31 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">tax collectors: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 5.46.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.44 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">pieces: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Verse 44 is not in some manuscripts.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/cev">www.get.bible/cev</a></span></p><br /><br /><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../matthew/20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Matthew 20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Matthew 20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../matthew/22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Matthew 22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Matthew 22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/matthew/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>