Gospel according to Luke

As he went, they spread their cloaks in the way.

As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,

saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"

Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

He answered them, "I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out."

When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,

saying, "If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.

For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,

and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn't know the time of your visitation."

He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!"

He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.

They couldn't find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, that the chief priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"

He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"

They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why didn't you believe him?'

But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

They answered that they didn't know where it was from.