Gospel according to Matthew

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the son of David!" they were indignant,

and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?'"

He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.

Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, "Let there be no fruit from you forever!" Immediately the fig tree withered away.

When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree immediately wither away?"

Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I tell you, if you have faith, and don't doubt, you will not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it would be done.

All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?" They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet."

They answered Jesus, and said, "We don't know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.'