Matthew · Chapter 21

[ edit] And whanne Jheſus came niȝ to Jeruſalem, and cam to Beþfage, in þe mount of Olyfeet, þanne Jheſus ſente his two diſciplis, ſeyinge to hem, Go ȝe in to þe caſtel þat is aȝeinus ȝou, and anon ȝe ſhal fynde a ſhe aſſe tyed, and a colt wiþ hir; vnbynde ȝe, and bryng to me. And ȝif eny man ſhal ſeie to ȝou eny þinge, ſeie ȝe, þat þe Lord haþ need to hem; and anoon he ſhal leeue hem. Trewly al þis was don, þat þat þing þat was ſeid by þe prophete ſhulde be fulfillid, ſeyinge, Seie ȝe to þe douȝter of Syon, Loo! þi kyng comeþ to þee, homly, or meke, ſittynge on an aſſe, and a fole, þe ſone of a beeſt vndir ȝook. Forſoþe diſciplis, goynge, diden as Jheſus comaundide hem.

And þei brouȝten to a ſhe aſſe, and þe fole, and puttiden her cloþis on hem, and maden hym ſitte aboue. Forſoþe ful muche cumpanye ſtrewiden her cloþis in þe wey; ſoþely oþer kittiden braunchis of trees, and ſtrowiden in þe weye. But þe cumpanyes þat wenten before, and þat ſueden, crieden, ſeyinge, Oſanna, þat is, I preie, ſaue, to þe ſone of Dauiþ; bleſſid is he þat cummeþ in þe name of þe Lord; Oſanna in þe heeȝiſt þingis. And when he had entrid in to Jeruſalem, al þe cite was ſtirid, ſeyinge, Who is þis? Treuly þe peplis ſeiden, Þis is Jheſus, þe prophete, of Nazareþ of Galilee.

And Jheſus entride in to þe temple of God, and keſt out of þe temple alle ſellynge and byinge; and he turnyde vpſadoun þe bordis of chaungeris, and þe chaiers of men ſellynge culueris. And he ſeiþ to hem, It is writen, My hous ſhal be clepid an hous of preiere; forſoþe ȝe han made it a denne of þefes. And blynde and crokid camen niȝ to hym in þe temple, and he helide hem. Forſoþe þe princis of preſtis and ſcribis, ſeeynge þe marueilouſe þingis þat he dide, and children cryinge in þe temple, and ſeiynge, Oſanna to þe ſone of Dauiþ, dedeyneden, and ſeiden to hym, Heeriſt þou what þeſe ſeyen?

Soþely Jheſus ſeiþ to hem, Ȝhe; wher ȝe han nat rad, For of þe mouþ of children, þat kunnen nat ſpeke, and of ſoukynge mylk, þou haſt made parfite heryinge? And, hem forſaken, he wente forþ out of þe citee, in to Betanye; and þere he dwelte, and tauȝte hem of þe kyngdam of God. Forſoþe on þe morw, he, turnynge aȝein in to þe citee, hungride. And he, ſeeynge a fige tree byſidis þe weye, came to it, and fonde no þing þer on no but leeuys oonly; and he ſeiþ to it, Neuer be fruyt born of þee, in to wiþ outen eende. And anoon þe fijge tree was dried vp. And diſciplis ſeeynge, wondreden, ſeyinge, Hou anon it driede.

Soþely Jheſus anſwerynge, ſeiþ to hem, Trewly I ſeye to ȝou, ȝif ȝe ſhulen han feiþ, as a corn of ſeneuey, and douten nat, nat oonly ȝe ſhulen do of þis fijge tree, bot and ȝif ȝe ſeien to þis hill, Take þee, and caſte þee in to þe ſee, and ſo it ſhal be don. And alle þingis what euer ȝe ſhulen axe in preier byleuynge, ȝee ſhulen take. And whenne he came in to þe temple, þe princis of preſtis and eldre men of þe peple camen niȝ to hym techynge, ſeyinge, In what power doſt þou þeſe þingis? and who ȝaf to þee þis power? Jheſus anſwerynge ſeide to hem, And I ſhal axe ȝou o word, þe whiche ȝif ȝe ſhulen ſeie to me, and I ſhal ſeie to ȝou, in what power I do þeſe þingis.

Of whennes was þe baptem of Joon; of heuene, or of men? And þei þouȝten wiþ inne hem ſelf, ſeyinge, Ȝif we ſhulen ſeie of heuene, he ſhal ſeie to vs, Whi þerfore beleuen ȝe nat to hym? Soþely ȝif we ſhulen ſeie of men, we dreden þe cumpanye of peple, for alle hadde Joon as a prophete. And þei anſwerynge to Jheſu ſeiden, We witen nat. And he ſeiþ to hem, Neþer I ſeie to ȝou, in what power I do þeſe þingis. Forſoþe what ſemeþ to ȝou? Sum man hadde two ſonys; and he cummynge niȝ to þe firſte ſeide, Sone, go for to worche þis day in to myn vyneȝerd. Soþely he anſwerynge ſeiþ, I nyle; forſoþe afterward he ſtirid by penaunce, or forþenkynge, wente. Forſoþe he, cummynge to þe toþer, ſeide lic maner.

And he anſwerynge ſeiþ, Lord, I go; and he wente nat. Who of þe two dide þe fadris will? Þei ſeien to hym, Þe firſte. Jheſus ſeiþ to hem, Trewly I ſeie to ȝou, for puplicanys and hooris ſhulen go before ȝou in to þe kyngdam of God. Forſoþe Joon cam to ȝou in þe weye of riȝtwiſneſſe, and ȝe bileeueden nat to hym; but puplicanys and hooris beleueden to hym. Soþely ȝee ſeeynge neþer hadde don penaunce afterward, þat ȝe bileeuyden to hym. Heere ȝe an oþer parable. Þer was an huſbondman, þat plantide a vyne ȝerd, and ȝaue an hegge aboute, and dalue a preſſour þerynne, and bildide a toure, and hiride, or ſette it to ferme, to erþe tiliers, and wente ferre in pilgrimage.

Forſoþe whenne þe tyme of fruytis neiȝide, he ſente his ſeruauntis to þe erþe tiliers, þat þei token fruytis of it. And, his ſeruauntis taken, þe erþe tiliers beeten þe toon an oþer þei ſlewen, but anoþer þei ſtoonyden to deþ. Eftſones he ſente oþer ſeruauntis, mo þan þe firſte, and liche maner þei diden to hem. Forſoþe at þe laſte he ſent his ſone to hem, ſeyinge, Þei ſhulen ſhame, or drede, my ſone. Soþely þe erþe tiliers, ſeeynge þe ſone, ſeiden wiþ ynne hem ſelf, Þis is þe eire; cume ȝe, ſlea we hym, and we ſhulen haue his eritage. And, hym taken, þei keſten out of þe vynȝerd, and ſlewen. Þerfore whenne þe lord of þe vyneȝerd ſhal cume, what ſhal he do to þe ilk erþe tiliers?

Þei ſeien to hym, He ſhal leſe yuele þe yuel men, and ſette to hire his vyneȝerd to oþer erþe tiliers, þe whiche ſhulen ȝelde to hym fruytis in her tymes. Jheſus ſeiþ to hem, Redden ȝe neuer in ſcripturis, Þe ſtoon þe whiche beldynge men reproueden, þis is maad in to þe heued of þe corner? Of þe Lord þis þing is maad, and it is merueilous in oure eiȝen. Þerfore I ſeie to ȝou, for þe kyngdam of God ſhal be taken fro ȝou, and ſhal be ȝouen to a folk doinge fruytis of it. And he þat ſhal falle on þis ſtoon, ſhal be broken togidre; forſoþe vpon whom it ſhal falle, it ſhal togidre poune hym. And when þe princis of preſtis and Phariſees hadden herde his parablis, þei knewen þat he ſeide of hem.

And þei, ſeekynge to holde hym, dreden þe cumpanyes of peple, for þei hadden hym as a prophete.