Matthew 21

Chapter 21.

21 ¹As dem dey near Jerusalem come reach Bethphage, for di Mount of Olives, Jesus send two disciples go front,

²im tell dem, “Go di village wey dey your front. One time you go see one donkey wey dem tie, wit im young colt wey dey im side. Loose dem come bring dem give me. ³If anybody talk anything to una, tell am say, ‘Na Oga need dem,’ and Oga go send dem come one time.”

⁴Dis one happen so dat wetin di prophet talk go come to pass: ⁵“Tell di pikin-woman of Zion, ‘Look, your king dey come to you, wit humble heart, im ride donkey, im ride young colt, di pikin of animal wey dey carry load.’”

⁶Di disciples go do just as Jesus tell dem. ⁷Dem bring di donkey and di colt, put dem cloth for di animal back, and Jesus siddon for di cloth. ⁸Plenty for di crowd spread dem cloth for di road; oda people cut branch from di tree come spread dem for di road. ⁹Di crowd wey dey im front and di one wey dey im back dey shout, “Hosanna to di Pikin of David! Blessing dey for di one wey dey come for di name of our Papa! Hosanna for di highest heaven!” ^a a v9 “Hosanna” na Hebrew cry wey mean “Save us!” — dem use am here as joyful shout of praise and welcome.

¹⁰And wen im enter Jerusalem, di whole city shake, dem dey ask, “Who be dis one?”

¹¹And di crowd talk say, “Na di prophet Jesus be dis, from Nazareth for Galilee.”

Jesus Take Back Im Papa House

¹²Den Jesus enter di temple, comot all di people wey dey sell and buy for inside, im turn-over di table of di money-changers and di seat of di people wey dey sell dove.

¹³Im tell dem, “Dem write am say: ‘My house go be house of prayer,’ but una dey make am den for tiff.”

¹⁴And di blind and di lame come meet am for di temple, and im heal dem. ¹⁵Wen di chief priests and di teachers of di law see di wonder wey im do, and di pikin dem wey dey shout for di temple, “Hosanna to di Pikin of David!” dem vex,

¹⁶come talk to am, “You dey hear wetin dis ones dey talk?” Jesus tell dem, “Yes. Una neva read am say, ‘From di mouth of small pikin and baby wey dey suck breast, you don prepare praise’?”

¹⁷Im komot for dem, go outside di city reach Bethany, come sleep for dia dat night.

Faith Wey Fit Move Mountain

¹⁸Early for morning, as im dey go back go di city, hunger catch am.

¹⁹Im see one fig tree for road side, im go meet am but im see only leaf. Im talk say, “Make you no bear fruit again forever!” One time di tree dry.

²⁰Wen di disciples see dis, e do dem wonder come dem ask, “How di fig tree take dry sharp-sharp so?”

²¹Jesus answer, “I dey tell una true word: wit faith, wey no get doubt, na no be only wetin happen to di fig tree una go fit do — una go even tell dis mountain, ‘Comot for here, jump inside di sea,’ and e go happen. ²²And anything wey una ask for prayer, if una believe, una go receive am.”

Dem Query di Pikin Authority

²³As im enter di temple, im dey teach wen di chief priests and di elders of di people come ask, “Wetin be di authority wey you get for dis things, and who give you dis authority?”

²⁴Jesus answer, “I go ask una one thing too. Tell me di answer, and I go tell una by wetin authority I dey do dis things. ²⁵John baptism — na where e come from? From heaven, or from man?” Dem dey argue among demself, “If we talk say, ‘From heaven,’ im go tell us, ‘Den why una no believe am?’

²⁶But if we talk say, ‘From man,’ we dey fear di crowd — dem all dey see John as prophet.”

²⁷Dem answer Jesus, “We no know.” Im talk say, “Na so me too, I no go tell una by wetin authority I dey do dis things.”

Two Sons: Na Mouth or Na Work

²⁸“But wetin una think? One man get two sons. Im go meet di first one, im talk, ‘Pikin, go work today for di vineyard.’ ²⁹And di pikin answer, ‘I no go go,’ but afta im change im mind come go. ³⁰Im go meet di second one come talk di same thing. Dis one answer, ‘I go go, sir’ — but im no go. ³¹Which of di two do im papa wish?” Dem talk, “Di first one.” Jesus tell dem, “True-true I dey tell una, tax collectors and ashawo dey enter di kingdom of our Papa before una.”

³²“Because John come to una for di correct-and-holy way, and una no believe am, but tax collectors and ashawo believe am. Even afta una see dat, una no change una mind come believe am.”

Di Vineyard and di Pikin Wey Dem Reject

³³“Hear anoda parable: One landowner plant one vineyard, put fence round am, dig winepress for inside, build watch-tower, im rent am give tenants, come travel go far country. ³⁴Wen di harvest time near, im send im servants go meet di tenants make dem collect im fruit. ³⁵But di tenants catch im servants — dem beat one, kill anoda, come stone anoda. ³⁶Again im send oda servants, wey pass di first ones, and dem treat dem di same way. ³⁷For di end im send im son go meet dem, im talk say, ‘Dem go respect my son.’ ³⁸But wen di tenants see di son, dem talk to each oda, ‘Na dis one be di heir; make we come kill am take im inheritance.’ ³⁹So dem catch am, throway am comot for di vineyard, come kill am. ⁴⁰Now wen di owner of di vineyard come, wetin im go do to dem tenants?”

⁴¹Dem answer, “Im go destroy dem wicked men bad-bad, come rent di vineyard give oda farmers wey go give am di fruit for di right season.”

⁴²Jesus tell dem, “Una neva read am for di Scriptures say: ‘Di stone wey di builders reject na im come be di cornerstone; dis one come from our Papa, and e make us wonder for our eye’?”

⁴³“So I dey tell una: dem go take di kingdom of our Papa from una come give am to one nation wey go produce im fruits. ⁴⁴Anybody wey fall for dis stone go scatter; anybody wey di stone fall on top go mash.”

⁴⁵Wen di chief priests and di Pharisees hear im parables, dem understand say na about dem im dey talk. ⁴⁶Dem wan arrest am but dem fear di crowd, wey dey see am as prophet.