---
title: "Matthew 21 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/matthew/21/
description: "Christ rides into Jerusalem upon an ass. He casts the buyers and sellers out of… Matthew 21 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Matthew 21

Matthew 21 is chapter 21 of 28 in the Gospel of Matthew. Here are all 46 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Christ rides into Jerusalem upon an ass. He casts the buyers and sellers out of the temple, curses the fig tree and puts to silence the priests and scribes.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Matthew 21 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. And when they had drawn near to Jerusalem, and had arrived at Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2. saying to them: “Go into the town that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Release them, and lead them to me.
3. And if anyone will have said anything to you, say that the Lord has need of them. And he will promptly dismiss them.”
4. Now all this was done in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5. “Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you meekly, sitting on a donkey and on a colt, the son of one accustomed to the yoke.”
6. Then the disciples, going out, did just as Jesus instructed them.
7. And they brought the donkey and the colt, and they laid their garments on them, and they helped him sit upon them.
8. Then a very numerous crowd spread their garments on the way. But others cut branches from the trees and scattered them on the way.
9. And the crowds that preceded him, and those that followed, cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”
10. And when he had entered into Jerusalem, the entire city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11. But the people were saying, “This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
12. And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and he cast out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of the vendors of doves.
13. And he said to them: “It is written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer. But you have made it into a den of robbers.’”
14. And the blind and the lame drew near to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15. Then the leaders of the priests and the scribes became indignant, seeing the miracles that he wrought, and the children crying out in the temple, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
16. And they said to him, “Do you hear what these ones are saying?” But Jesus said to them, “Certainly. Have you never read: For out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have perfected praise?”
17. And leaving them behind, he went out, beyond the city, into Bethania, and he lodged here.
18. Then, as he was returning to the city in the morning, he was hungry.
19. And seeing a certain fig tree beside the way, he approached it. And he found nothing on it, except only leaves. And he said to it, “May fruit never spring forth from you, for all time.” And immediately the fig tree was dried up.
20. And seeing this, the disciples wondered, saying, “How did it dry up so quickly?”
21. And Jesus responded to them by saying: “Amen I say to you, if you have faith and do not hesitate, not only shall you do this, concerning the fig tree, but even if you would say to this mountain, ‘Take and cast yourself into the sea,’ it shall be done.
22. And all things whatsoever that you shall ask for in prayer: believing, you shall receive.”
23. And when he had arrived at the temple, as he was teaching, the leaders of the priests and the elders of the people approached him, saying: “By what authority do you do these things? And who has given this authority to you?”
24. In response, Jesus said to them: “I also will question you with one word: if you tell me this, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25. The baptism of John, where was it from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” But they thought within themselves, saying:
26. “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we have the crowd to fear, for they all hold John to be a prophet.”
27. And so, they answered Jesus by saying, “We do not know.” So he also said to them: “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28. But how does it seem to you? A certain man had two sons. And approaching the first, he said: ‘Son, go out today to work in my vineyard.’
29. And responding, he said, ‘I am not willing.’ But afterwards, being moved by repentance, he went.
30. And approaching the other, he spoke similarly. And answering, he said, ‘I am going, lord.’ And he did not go.
31. Which of the two did the will of the father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them: “Amen I say to you, that tax collectors and prostitutes shall precede you, into the kingdom of God.
32. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Yet even after seeing this, you did not repent, so as to believe him.
33. Listen to another parable. There was a man, the father of a family, who planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a press in it, and built a tower. And he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out to sojourn abroad.
34. Then, when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, so that they might receive its fruits.
35. And the farmers apprehended his servants; they struck one, and killed another, and stoned yet another.
36. Again, he sent other servants, more than before; and they treated them similarly.
37. Then, at the very end, he sent his son to them, saying: ‘They will revere my son.’
38. But the farmers, seeing the son, said among themselves: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and then we will have his inheritance.’
39. And apprehending him, they cast him outside the vineyard, and they killed him.
40. Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those farmers?”
41. They said to him, “He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and he will loan out his vineyard to other farmers, who shall repay to him the fruit in its time.”
42. Jesus said to them: “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?’
43. Therefore, I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and it shall be given to a people who shall produce its fruits.
44. And whoever will have fallen on this stone shall be broken, yet truly, on whomever it shall fall, it will crush him.”
45. And when the leaders of the priests, and the Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them.
46. And though they sought to take hold of him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

## Matthew 21 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Et cum appropinquassent Jerosolymis, et venissent Bethphage ad montem Oliveti: tunc Jesus misit duos discipulos,
2. dicens eis: Ite in castellum, quod contra vos est, et statim invenietis asinam alligatam, et pullum cum ea: solvite, et adducite mihi:
3. et si quis vobis aliquid dixerit, dicite quia Dominus his opus habet: et confestim dimittet eos.
4. Hoc autem totum factum est, ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem:
5. Dicite filiæ Sion: Ecce rex tuus venit tibi mansuetus, sedens super asinam, et pullum filium subjugalis.
6. Euntes autem discipuli fecerunt sicut præcepit illis Jesus.
7. Et adduxerunt asinam, et pullum: et imposuerunt super eos vestimenta sua, et eum desuper sedere fecerunt.
8. Plurima autem turba straverunt vestimenta sua in via: alii autem cædebant ramos de arboribus, et sternebant in via:
9. turbæ autem, quæ præcedebant, et quæ sequebantur, clamabant, dicentes: Hosanna filio David: benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini: hosanna in altissimis.
10. Et cum intrasset Jerosolymam, commota est universa civitas, dicens: Quis est hic?
11. Populi autem dicebant: Hic est Jesus propheta a Nazareth Galilææ.
12. Et intravit Jesus in templum Dei, et ejiciebat omnes vendentes et ementes in templo, et mensas numulariorum, et cathedras vendentium columbas evertit:
13. et dicit eis: Scriptum est: Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur: vos autem fecistis illam speluncam latronum.
14. Et accesserunt ad eum cæci, et claudi in templo: et sanavit eos.
15. Videntes autem principes sacerdotum et scribæ mirabilia quæ fecit, et pueros clamantes in templo, et dicentes: Hosanna filio David: indignati sunt,
16. et dixerunt ei: Audis quid isti dicunt? Jesus autem dixit eis: Utique. Numquam legistis: Quia ex ore infantium et lactentium perfecisti laudem?
17. Et relictis illis, abiit foras extra civitatem in Bethaniam: ibique mansit.
18. Mane autem revertens in civitatem, esuriit.
19. Et videns fici arborem unam secus viam, venit ad eam: et nihil invenit in ea nisi folia tantum, et ait illi: Numquam ex te fructus nascatur in sempiternum. Et arefacta est continuo ficulnea.
20. Et videntes discipuli, mirati sunt, dicentes: Quomodo continuo aruit?
21. Respondens autem Jesus, ait eis: Amen dico vobis, si habueritis fidem, et non hæsitaveritis, non solum de ficulnea facietis, sed et si monti huic dixeritis: Tolle, et jacta te in mare, fiet.
22. Et omnia quæcumque petieritis in oratione credentes, accipietis.
23. Et cum venisset in templum, accesserunt ad eum docentem principes sacerdotum, et seniores populi, dicentes: In qua potestate hæc facis? et quis tibi dedit hanc potestatem?
24. Respondens Jesus dixit eis: Interrogabo vos et ego unum sermonem: quem si dixeritis mihi, et ego vobis dicam in qua potestate hæc facio.
25. Baptismus Joannis unde erat? e cælo, an ex hominibus? At illi cogitabant inter se, dicentes:
26. Si dixerimus, e cælo, dicet nobis: Quare ergo non credidistis illi? Si autem dixerimus, ex hominibus, timemus turbam: omnes enim habebant Joannem sicut prophetam.
27. Et respondentes Jesu, dixerunt: Nescimus. Ait illis et ipse: Nec ego dico vobis in qua potestate hæc facio.
28. Quid autem vobis videtur? Homo quidam habebat duos filios, et accedens ad primum, dixit: Fili, vade hodie, operare in vinea mea.
29. Ille autem respondens, ait: Nolo. Postea autem, pœnitentia motus, abiit.
30. Accedens autem ad alterum, dixit similiter. At ille respondens, ait: Eo, domine, et non ivit:
31. quis ex duobus fecit voluntatem patris? Dicunt ei: Primus. Dicit illis Jesus: Amen dico vobis, quia publicani et meretrices præcedent vos in regnum Dei.
32. Venit enim ad vos Joannes in via justitiæ, et non credidistis ei: publicani autem et meretrices crediderunt ei: vos autem videntes nec pœnitentiam habuistis postea, ut crederetis ei.
33. Aliam parabolam audite: Homo erat paterfamilias, qui plantavit vineam, et sepem circumdedit ei, et fodit in ea torcular, et ædificavit turrim, et locavit eam agricolis, et peregre profectus est.
34. Cum autem tempus fructuum appropinquasset, misit servos suos ad agricolas, ut acciperent fructus ejus.
35. Et agricolæ, apprehensis servis ejus, alium ceciderunt, alium occiderunt, alium vero lapidaverunt.
36. Iterum misit alios servos plures prioribus, et fecerunt illis similiter.
37. Novissime autem misit ad eos filium suum, dicens: Verebuntur filium meum.
38. Agricolæ autem videntes filium dixerunt intra se: Hic est hæres, venite, occidamus eum, et habebimus hæreditatem ejus.
39. Et apprehensum eum ejecerunt extra vineam, et occiderunt.
40. Cum ergo venerit dominus vineæ, quid faciet agricolis illis?
41. Aiunt illi: Malos male perdet: et vineam suam locabit aliis agricolis, qui reddant ei fructum temporibus suis.
42. Dicit illis Jesus: Numquam legistis in Scripturis: Lapidem quem reprobaverunt ædificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli: a Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis nostris?
43. Ideo dico vobis, quia auferetur a vobis regnum Dei, et dabitur genti facienti fructus ejus.
44. Et qui ceciderit super lapidem istum, confringetur: super quem vero ceciderit, conteret eum.
45. Et cum audissent principes sacerdotum et pharisæi parabolas ejus, cognoverunt quod de ipsis diceret.
46. Et quærentes eum tenere, timuerunt turbas: quoniam sicut prophetam eum habebant.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- cf. CCC ¶ 559: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 584: Jesus and Israel ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 544: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 2610: In the Fullness of Time ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 546: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 535: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 755: The Church in God's Plan ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 443: The Only Son of God ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 756: The Church in God's Plan ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Read at Mass (US)

- Mon, Dec 14, 2026: St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church — Gospel, Matthew 21:23-27
- Tue, Dec 15, 2026: Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent — Gospel, Matthew 21:28-32
- Fri, Feb 26, 2027: Friday of the Second Week of Lent — Gospel, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
- Mon, Dec 13, 2027 (computed): St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr — Gospel, Matthew 21:23-27

2 more dates through December 31, 2028, in the [liturgical calendar](https://blessbible.app/calendar/).

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).