Mark 11 — Berean Standard Bible

¹ As they approached Jerusalem [and came] to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, [Jesus] sent out two of His disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied [there], on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring [it here]. ³ If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell [him], ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly. ⁴ So they went and found [the] colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it, ⁵ and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt? ⁶ [The disciples] answered as Jesus had instructed [them], and [the people] gave them permission. ⁷ Then they led the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it. ⁸ Many [ in the crowd ] spread their cloaks on the road, while others [spread] branches they had cut from the fields. ⁹ The [ones who] went ahead and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He [who] comes in [the] name of [the] Lord!” ¹⁰ “Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” ¹¹ Then [Jesus] entered Jerusalem [and went] into the temple [courts]. He looked around at everything, [but since] [it] was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. ¹² The next day, [when] they had left Bethany, [Jesus] was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any [fruit] on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing [on it] except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then He said to [the tree], “{May} no one ever eat of your fruit {again}. And His disciples heard [this statement]. ¹⁵ When they arrived in Jerusalem, [Jesus] entered the temple [courts] [and] began to drive out those who were buying and selling [there]. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. ¹⁶ And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple [courts]. ¹⁷ Then [Jesus] began to teach them, and He declared, “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.’ ¹⁸ When the chief priests and scribes heard [this], they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. ¹⁹ And when evening came, [Jesus and His disciples] went out of the city. ²⁰ [As] they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from [its] roots. ²¹ Peter remembered [it] [and] said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered. ²² “Have faith in God, Jesus said to them. ²³ “Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that [it] will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received [it], and [it] will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against [another], forgive [it], so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well. ²⁷ After their return to Jerusalem, [Jesus] was walking in the temple [courts], [and] the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him. ²⁸ “By what authority are You doing these things? they asked. “[And] who gave You the authority to do [them]? ²⁹ “I will ask you one question, Jesus replied, “and [if] you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism— was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me! ³¹ They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven, He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him? ³² But if we say, ‘From men’ ... they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet. ³³ So they answered, “We do not know. And Jesus replied, “Neither {will} I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.