1 YAHUSHA and His Disciples were coming closer to Jerusalem. But first they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. From there YAHUSHA sent two of His Disciples into town. 2 He said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will find a donkey with her colt. Untie them both, and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, tell them, ‘The Master needs them. He will send them back soon.’”
4 This fulfilled what the prophet said: 5 “Tell the people of Zion, ‘Now your King is coming to you. He is humble and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a young donkey, born from a work animal.’” (IS 62, ZECH 9)
6 His followers went and did what YAHUSHA told them to do. 7 They brought the mother donkey and the young donkey to Him. They covered the donkeys with their coats, and YAHUSHA sat on them. 8 On the way to Jerusalem, many people spread their coats on the road for YAHUSHA. Others cut palm branches from the trees and spread them on the road also. 9 Some of the people were walking ahead of YAHUSHA. Others were walking behind Him. Then they all shouted, “HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID! ‘HOSANNA! BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF YAHUAH!’ HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!”
10 Then YAHUSHA went into Jerusalem, and all the people in the city were confused. They asked, “Who is this man?” 11 The crowds following YAHUSHA answered, “This is YAHUSHA. He is the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.” 12 YAHUSHA went into the Temple area. He threw out all those who were selling and buying things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And He turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. 13 YAHUSHA said to them, “It has been written, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are turning it into a ‘den for thieves.”
14 Some blind people and some who were crippled came to YAHUSHA in the Temple area. YAHUSHA healed them. 15 The Chief Priests and the Scribes saw the wonderful things He was doing. And they saw the children praising Him in the Temple area. The children were shouting, “HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID.” All this made the Priests and the Scribes furious. 16 They asked YAHUSHA, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” He answered, “Yes. Have you never read ‘Out of the mouth of babes and children You have perfected My Praise?’"
17 Then YAHUSHA left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night. 18 Early the next morning, YAHUSHA was going back to the city and was very hungry. 19 He saw a fig tree beside the road and went to get a fig from it. But there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So YAHUSHA said to the tree, “You will never again produce fruit!” The tree immediately dried up and died. 20 When His followers saw this, they were very surprised, and asked, “How did the fig tree dry up and die so quickly?” 21 YAHUSHA answered, “The truth is, if you have trust and no doubts, you will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have trust and belief, it will happen. 22 If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
23 YAHUSHA went into the Temple area again, and while He was teaching there, the Chief Priests and the Elders of the people came to Him, saying, “Tell us! What authority do You have to do these things You are doing? Who gave You this authority?” 24 YAHUSHA answered, “I will ask you a question too. If you answer Me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. 25 Tell Me: When John Immersed people, did his authority come from Alahim, or was it only from other people?” The Priests and the Elders talked about YAHUSHA’S question. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s Immersion was from Alahim,’ then He will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John? And be immersed’ 26 But we can’t say John’s Immersion was from someone else. For we are afraid of the people, because they all believe John was a prophet and there’ll be a riot if we say that.” 27 So they told YAHUSHA, “We don’t know the answer.” YAHUSHA said, “Good! Then I will not tell you Who gave Me the authority to do these things.
28 “Tell Me what you think about this: There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “The son answered, ‘No I don’t want to go.’ But later he decided he should go, and he went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ He answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will go and work right away.’ But he did not go. 31 Which of the two sons ended up obeying his father?” The Jewish Leaders answered, “The first son.”
YAHUSHA said to them, “The truth is, you are worse than the tax collectors and the prostitutes. In fact, they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven before you enter. 32 John came showing you the right way to live, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. You saw that happening, but you would not repent. And you still refused to believe him.
33 Listen to this story: There was a man who owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the field and dug a hole for a winepress. Then he built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers and then left on a trip. 34 Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the farmers grabbed the servants and beat one. They killed another one and then stoned to death a third servant. 36 So the man sent some other servants to the farmers. He sent more servants than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to them that they did the first time. 37 So the man decided to send his son to the farmers. He said, ‘The farmers will respect my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the owner’s son. This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, it will be ours.’ 39 So the farmers took the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 “So what will the owner of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?"
41 The Chief Priests and Leaders said, “He will surely kill those evil men. Then he will lease the land to other farmers, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 YAHUSHA said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected became the cornerstone. YAHUAH did this, and it is wonderful to us.’ 43 So I tell you that the Kingdom of Heaven will be taken away from you and will be given to people who bear the fruits (BEHAVE) required. 44 Whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but it will crush and pulverise anyone that it falls on.”
45 When the Chief Priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew that YAHUSHA was talking about them. 46 Then they wanted to find a way to arrest YAHUSHA. But they were afraid to do anything, because the people believed that YAHUSHA was a prophet.
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