CHAPTER LIII.
TRIUMPHANT ENTRANCE OF JESUS INTO JERUSALEM.
ON the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them,
Go into the village over against you, and straightway, as soon as ye enter into it, ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her, whereon yet never man sat; loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them hither.
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
And the disciples that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them, the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him; even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
And they brought the ass and the colt to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
And as he went, a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way.