Matthew 21:1-11 - The Triumphal Entry

¹ When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage at the Hill of Olives, then Jesus despatched two disciples, ² saying to them, "Go to the village in front of you and you will at once find an ass tethered with a colt alongside of her; untether them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you will say that the Lord needs them; then he will at once let them go."

⁴ This took place for the fulfilment of what had been spoken by the prophet,

⁵ Tell the daughter of Sion, 'Here is your king coming to you, He is gentle and mounted on an ass, And on a colt the foal of a beast of burden.'

⁶ So the disciples went and did as Jesus told them; ⁷ they brought the ass and the colt and put their clothes on them. Jesus seated himself on them, ⁸ and the greater part of the crowd spread their clothes on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. ⁹ And the crowds who went in front of him and who followed behind shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name! Hosanna in high heaven!"

¹⁰ When he entered Jerusalem the whole city was in excitement over him. "Who is this?" they said, ¹¹ and the crowds replied, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazaret in Galilee!"

¹ Now when they came near Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Hill of Olives, he despatched two of his disciples, ² saying to them, "Go to the village in front of you. As soon as you enter it you will find a colt tethered, on which no one has ever sat; untether it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing that?' say, 'The Lord needs it,' and he will send it back immediately."

⁴ Off they went and found a colt tethered outside a door in the street. They untethered it; ⁵ but some of the bystanders said to them, "What do you mean by untethering that colt?" ⁶ So they answered as Jesus had told them, and the men allowed them to go. ⁷ Then they brought the colt to Jesus, and when they had put their clothes on it Jesus seated himself.

⁸ Many also spread their clothes on the road, while others strewed leaves cut from the fields; ⁹ and both those in front and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name! ¹⁰ Blessed be the Reign to come, our father David's reign. Hosanna in high heaven!"

¹¹ Then he entered Jerusalem, entered the temple, and looked round at everything; but as it was late he went away with the twelve to Bethany.

²⁸ With these words he went forward on his way up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he was near Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Olive-Orchard, he despatched two of his disciples, ³⁰ saying, "Go to the village in front, and on entering it you will find a colt tethered on which no one ever has sat; untether it and bring it. ³¹ If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untethering it?' this is what you will say, 'The Lord needs it.'"

³² The messengers went off and found the colt exactly as he had told them. ³³ As they were untethering it, the owners said to them, "Why are you untethering the colt?"

³⁴ And they said, "Because the Lord needs it." ³⁵ So they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their clothes on the colt they mounted Jesus upon it. ³⁶ As he went forward they spread their clothes under him on the road; ³⁷ and as he was now close to the descent from the Hill of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples started joyfully to praise God with a loud voice for all they had seen,

³⁸ saying, "Blessed be the king who comes in the Lord's name! Peace in heaven and glory in the High places!"

³⁹ Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Check your disciples, teacher."

⁴⁰ But he replied, "I tell you, if they were to keep quiet, the very stones would shout."

¹² Next day the great mass of people who had come up for the festival heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem, ¹³ and taking palm-branches they went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the Lord's name, the king of Israel!"

¹⁴ And Jesus came across a young ass and seated himself on it; as it is written, ¹⁵ Fear not, daughter of Sion; here is your king coming, seated on an ass's colt.

¹⁶ (His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered this had been written of him and had happened to him.) ¹⁷ Now the people who were with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead, testified to it; ¹⁸ and that was why the crowd went out to meet him, because they heard he had performed this Sign.

¹⁹ Then said the Pharisees to one another, "You see, you can do nothing! Look, the world has gone after him."