Matthew 21:23-27 Later, after His coming into the Temple courts and grounds, the chief and ranking priests – as well as the elders (or: older men) of the people – came up to Him while He was in the process of teaching. They, one after another, proceeded saying, "In what kind of authority (or: In association with sort of customary law) are you continuing to do these things?" And then, "Who gave this authority (right; privilege) to you?"

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ²³ Later, after His coming into the Temple courts and grounds, the chief and ranking priests – as well as the elders (or: older men) of the people – came up to Him while [He was] in the process of teaching. They, one after another, proceeded saying, "In what kind of authority (or: In association with sort of customary law) are you continuing to do these things?" And then, "Who gave this authority (right; privilege) to you?" ²⁴ So Jesus, making a discerning response, says to them, "I, Myself, will proceed also asking you one question (thought; word), which, if you folks can (or: should; would) tell Me, then I also will continue in telling you in what kind of authority (or: in association with what sort of customary law) I am constantly doing these things: ²⁵ "The immersion (baptism; = ceremonial washing) which pertained to and was done by John – from what source or origin was it being; from out of heaven (or: from [the] Atmosphere), or from out of the midst of humans (mankind; people)?" Now they began reasoning and discussing among themselves, one after another saying, "If we should say, 'From out of heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why (Through what cause or situation) did you not trust or put faith in him?' ²⁶ "Yet if we should say, 'From out of humans,' we continue fearing about the crowd (= are afraid of how the crowd might react), for they all are in the habit of holding John as a prophet." ²⁷ And so, giving a determined reply to Jesus, they said, "We have not seen and so we do not know (or: We are not aware)." He also affirms to them, "Neither am I, Myself, laying it out or saying to you folks within what kind of authority (right; privilege; customary law) I continue to do these things.