Matthew 21:19-46 ▼

19 And, seeing one fig tree by the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon except leaves only. And He saith to it, "No more may fruit come from you forever." And immediately the fig tree withered away!

20 And the disciples, seeing it , wondered, saying, "How quickly the fig tree withered away!"

21 And Jesus, answering, said to them, "Verily I say to you, if ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only the withering of the fig tree shall ye accomplish, but, even if ye say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up, and be cast into the sea,' it shall be done.

22 And all things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

23 And, when He came into the temple, the high-priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, saying, "By what authority art Thou doing these things? And who gave Thee this authority?"

24 And Jesus, answering, said, "I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell Me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 The immersion of John—whence was it? from Heaven or from men?" And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From Heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why, then, did ye not believe him?'

26 But, if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet."

27 And, answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

28 "But what think ye? A man had two children; and to the first, he said, 'Child, go, work today in the vineyard.'

29 And he, answering, said, 'I go , sir,' and he went not.

30 And, coming to the second, he spake in like manner; and he, answering, said, 'I am not willing;' but later, repenting, he went.

31 Which of the two did the will of the father?" They say, "The last." Jesus saith to them, "Verily I say to you that the tax-collectors and the harlots are going into the Kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him; but the tax-collectors and the harlots believed him; but ye, having seen him , did not even repent afterward, that ye might believe him."

33 "Hear another parable. There was a man—a householder—who planted a vineyard, and placed a fence around it, and dug a wine-press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad.

34 And, when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.

35 And the husbandmen, taking his servants, one, indeed, they beat; and one they killed; and one they stoned.

36 Again he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them likewise.

37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will reverence my son.'

38 But the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and have his inheritance!'

39 And, taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him .

40 When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husband-men?"

41 They say to Him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."

42 Jesus saith to them, "Did ye never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made head of a corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes?'

43 "Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof.

44 And he who falls on this stone shall be broken in pieces; but on whomsoever it falls, it will scatter him as dust."

45 And the high-priests and Pharisees, having heard His parables, knew that He was speaking concerning them.

46 And, while seeking to lay hold on Him, they feared the multitudes, since they were holding Him as a prophet.