Mark 11 (Chapter a Day)

The Triumphal Entry

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2saying
to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you
will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and
bring it here. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”

4They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!^[a]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]
10“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”

11Jesus
entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at
everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with
the Twelve.

Jesus Clears the Temple

12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing
in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any
fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was
not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15On
reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out
those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of
the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:
” ‘My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’^[c]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[d]”

18The
chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking
for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was
amazed at his teaching.

19When evening came, they^[e] went out of the city.

The Withered Fig Tree

20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22“Have^[f] faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I
tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw
yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes
that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And
when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive
him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”^[g]

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

27They
arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple
courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came
to him. 28“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”

31They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 11:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 10
2. Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25,26
3. Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7
4. Mark 11:17 Jer. 7:11
5. Mark 11:19 Some early manuscripts he
6. Mark 11:22 Some early manuscripts If you have
7. Mark 11:25 Some manuscripts sins. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Mark 10 (Chapter a Day)

Divorce

1Jesus
then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the
Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he
taught them.

2Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3“What did Moses command you?” he replied.

4They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

5“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^[a] 7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^[b] 8and the two will become one flesh.’^[c] So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

10When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

The Little Children and Jesus

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When
Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

The Rich Young Man

17As
Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees
before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit
eternal life?”

18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19You
know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not
steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father
and mother.’^[d]”

20“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21Jesus
looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell
everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

28Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”

29“I
tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me
and the gospel 30will fail
to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes,
brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them,
persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

32They
were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the
disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again
he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.
33“We are going up to
Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief
priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and
will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

The Request of James and John

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38“You
don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I
drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39“We
can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I
drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus
called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials
exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

46Then
they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large
crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son
of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Footnotes:

1. Mark 10:6 Gen. 1:27
2. Mark 10:7 Some early manuscripts do not have and be united to his wife.
3. Mark 10:8 Gen. 2:24
4. Mark 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
5. Mark 10:24 Some manuscripts is for those who trust in riches

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society