3. If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, ‘The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back.’ ”
4. The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it,
5. some of the people standing there asked, “Why are you untying the donkey?”
6. They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.
7. The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on.
8. Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields.
9. In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,“Hooray!God bless the one who comesin the name of the Lord!
10. God bless the coming kingdomof our ancestor David.Hooray for Godin heaven above!”
11. After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
12. When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry.
13. From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were not any, because it wasn't the season for figs.
14. So Jesus said to the tree, “Never again will anyone eat fruit from this tree!” The disciples heard him say this.
15. After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves.
16. Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple.
17. Then he taught the people and said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”