17. He taught them, "Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks."
18. The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching.
19. When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city.
20. Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from the root up.
21. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up."
22. Jesus responded to them, "Have faith in God!
23. I assure you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen.
24. Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you.
25. And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone, forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings."
27. Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem again. As Jesus was walking around the temple, the chief priests, legal experts, and elders came to him.
28. They asked, "What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?"
29. Jesus said to them, "I have a question for you. Give me an answer, then I’ll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.