Chapter 19

T¹hen Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. ⁴So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. ⁷And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” ⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

W¹¹hile the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently. ¹²So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return. ¹³Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. ¹⁴But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ ¹⁵When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned. ¹⁶The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’ ¹⁷His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’ ²⁰Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’ ²²His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ²⁵‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ ²⁶He replied, ‘ I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ²⁷And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

A²⁸fter Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples, ³⁰saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’” ³²So those who were sent went out and found it just as Jesus had told them. ³³As they were untying the colt, its owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴“The Lord needs it,” they answered. ³⁵Then they led the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it, and put Jesus on it. ³⁶As He rode along, the people spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: ³⁸“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” ³⁹But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” ⁴⁰“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”

A⁴¹s Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it ⁴²and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴They will level you to the ground — you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God. ”

T⁴⁵hen Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling there. ⁴⁶He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” ⁴⁷Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him. ⁴⁸Yet they could not find a way to do so, because all the people hung on His words.