compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

And the multitude said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Behold, how ye prevail nothing; lo, the world is gone after him."

And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

MONDAY—THE DAY OF AUTHORITY.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree.

And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. And he answered and said unto it, "No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever."

And his disciples heard it.

The Cleansing of the Temple.

And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves: and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. And he taught, and said unto them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? but ye have made it a den of robbers."

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the son of David": they were moved with indignation, and said unto him, "Hearest thou what these are saying?"

And Jesus saith unto them, "Yea: did ye never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?"

And the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him: and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.

And he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.

TUESDAY—THE DAY OF CONTROVERSY.

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree.

And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, "Rabbi, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away."

And Jesus answering saith unto them, "Have faith in God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou taken up and cast into the sea'; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

The Challenge of Christ's Authority.

And they came again to Jerusalem. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him. And as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders; and they spake, saying unto him, "Tell us: By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?"

And Jesus answered, and said unto them, "I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men?"

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we shall say, 'From heaven'; he will say unto us, 'Why did ye not believe him?' But if we shall say, 'From men'; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

And they answered Jesus, and said, "We know not."

And Jesus said unto them, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

The Two Sons.

"But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.' And he answered and said, 'I will not': but afterward he repented himself, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir': and went not. Which of the two did the will of his father?"

They say, "The first."

Jesus saith unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward that ye might believe him."

The Wicked Husbandmen.

"Hear another parable: There was a man who was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they did unto them in like manner. But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, 'They will reverence my son.' But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.' And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

They say unto him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

Jesus saith unto them, "Did ye never read in the scriptures,

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust."

And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.

The Marriage of the King's Son.

And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, 'Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are