Jesus Goes to the Temple^(A)

¹² Jesus went into the Temple area. He threw out all those who were selling and buying things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹³ Jesus said to them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’^[a] But you are changing it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’^[b]”

¹⁴ Some blind people and some who were crippled came to Jesus in the Temple area. Jesus healed them. ¹⁵ The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he was doing. And they saw the children praising him in the Temple area. The children were shouting, “Praise to the Son of David.” All this made the priests and the teachers of the law angry.

¹⁶ They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

He answered, “Yes. The Scriptures say, ‘You have taught children and babies to give praise.’^[c] Have you not read that Scripture?”

¹⁷ Then Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Goes to the Temple^(A)

⁴⁵ Jesus went into the Temple area. He began to throw out the people who were selling things there. ⁴⁶ He said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer.’^[a] But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’^[b]”

⁴⁷ Jesus taught the people in the Temple area every day. The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and some of the leaders of the people wanted to kill him. ⁴⁸ But they did not know how they could do it, because everyone was listening to him. The people were very interested in what Jesus said.

Jesus at the Temple^(A)

¹³ It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ There in the Temple area he saw men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging and trading people’s money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip with some pieces of rope. Then he forced all these men and the sheep and cattle to leave the Temple area. He turned over the tables of the money traders and scattered their money. ¹⁶ Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”

¹⁷ When this happened, his followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures:

¹⁸ Some Jews said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle as a sign from God. Prove that you have the right to do these things.”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and I will build it again in three days.”

²⁰ They answered, “People worked 46 years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?”

²¹ But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. ²² After he was raised from death, his followers remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scriptures, and they believed the words Jesus said.