4. The followers went into the town. They found a young donkey tied in the street near the door of a house, and they untied it.
5. Some people were standing there and saw this. They asked, “What are you doing? Why are you untying that donkey?”
6. The followers answered the way Jesus told them, and the people let them take the donkey.
7. The followers brought the donkey to Jesus. They put their coats on it, and Jesus sat on it.
8. Many people spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Others cut branches in the fields and spread the branches on the road.
9. Some of them were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. Everyone shouted, “‘Praise Him!’ ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Psalm 118:25-26
10. “God bless the kingdom of our father David. That kingdom is coming! Praise to God in heaven!”
11. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple. He looked at everything in the Temple area, but it was already late. So he went to Bethany with the twelve apostles.
12. The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry.
13. He saw a fig tree with leaves. So he went to the tree to see if it had any figs growing on it. But he found no figs on the tree. There were only leaves, because it was not the right time for figs to grow.
14. So Jesus said to the tree, “People will never eat fruit from you again.” His followers heard him say this.
15. When Jesus and his followers came to Jerusalem, they entered the Temple area. Jesus began driving out the people who were buying and selling 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.
16. He refused to allow anyone to carry things through the Temple area.
17. Then Jesus began teaching the people and said, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’”