Gospel according to Luke 19

¹ He entered Jericho and was going through the town

² when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.

³ He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd;

⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’

⁶ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.

⁷ They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said.

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount'[*a]

⁹ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham;[*b]

¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost’.

¹¹ While the people were listening to this he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.

¹² Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return[*c].

¹³ He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.”

¹⁴ But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king”.

¹⁵ Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made.

¹⁶ The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten”.

¹⁷ “Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.”.

¹⁸ Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five”.

¹⁹ To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities”.

²⁰ Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen

²¹ because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.”

²² “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown?

²³ Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.”

²⁴ And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds”.

²⁵ And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds . . .”

²⁶ “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

²⁷ “But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”‘

²⁸ When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹ Now when he was near Bethphage and Bethany, close by the Mount of Olives as it is called, he sent two of the disciples, telling them,

³⁰ ‘Go off to the village opposite, and as you enter it you will find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

³¹ If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” you are to say this, “The Master needs it”.’

³² The messengers went off and found everything just as he had told them.

³³ As they were untying the colt, its owner said, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’

³⁴ and they answered, ‘The Master needs it’.

³⁵ So they took the colt to Jesus, and throwing their garments over its back they helped Jesus on to it.

³⁶ As he moved off, people spread their cloaks in the road,

³⁷ and now, as he was approaching the downward slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole group of disciples joyfully began to praise God at the top of their voices for all the miracles they had seen.

³⁸ They cried out: ‘Blessings on the King who comes, in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens!’

³⁹ Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Master, check your disciples’,

⁴⁰ but he answered, ‘I tell you, if these keep silence the stones will cry out’.

⁴¹ As he drew near and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it

⁴² and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes!

⁴³ Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will. encircle you and hem you in on every side;

⁴⁴ they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you-and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

⁴⁵ Then he went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling.

⁴⁶ ‘According to scripture,’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer.[*d] But you have turned it into a robbers’ den'[*e].

⁴⁷ He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him,

⁴⁸ but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.