Luke 19

Worldwide English (New Testament)

19 Jesus came to the city of Jericho and was passing through it.

² A man named Zacchaeus was there. He was the head tax collector, and he was a rich man.

³ He wanted to see who Jesus was but he could not see him because he was a short man and there were many people around him.

⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed into a tree to see Jesus, for he was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up. He said, `Zacchaeus, come down right now. I must stay at your house today.'

⁶ So Zacchaeus came down right then. He was glad to have Jesus come in his house.

⁷ When all the people saw this, they did not like it. They said, `He has gone to visit a bad man.'

⁸ Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, `Look, Lord, I will give to the poor people half of all I have. And if I have cheated anyone, I will give him back four times as much as I took.'

⁹ Jesus said to him, `The head of this house has been saved today! He also is a son of Abraham.

¹⁰ The Son of Man came to look for and to save those who are lost.'

¹¹ While they were listening to this, he started to tell them a story. He did so because they were near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God would begin right away.

¹² So he said, `A man who belonged to a respected family went to a country far away. He went to get power to rule. Then he was going to come back.

¹³ Before he left, he called ten of his servants. He gave each of them some money. He said, "Go and trade with this money until I come back."

¹⁴ `His people hated him. They chose some men and sent them after him to tell the king, "We do not want this man to rule over us."

¹⁵ But he was given the power to rule and came back. Then he called the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much money each one had made by trading.

¹⁶ The first one came to him and said, "Sir, your money has made ten times more money."

¹⁷ `The ruler said, "You have done well. You are a good servant. You will rule over ten cities because you have done well with a very small thing."

¹⁸ The second one came to him and said, "Sir, your money has made five times more money."

¹⁹ The ruler said, "You will rule over five cities."

²⁰ `Then another servant came and said, "Sir, here is your money. I hid it in a cloth and kept it.

²¹ I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take in where you put nothing out. You gather where you did not plant."

²² `The ruler said "You bad servant! I will judge you by your own words. You knew that I was a hard man! You knew that I take in where I put nothing out. You knew that I gather where I did not plant.

²³ Why did you not put my money in the bank? Then when you came home I would have had my money with interest."

²⁴ `Some men were standing there. He said to them, "Take the money from him. Give it to the man who has ten times as much."

²⁵ They said, "Sir, he has ten times as much already!"

²⁶ The ruler said, "I tell you. Anyone who has some will get more. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

²⁷ But where are those people who hate me and did not want me to rule over them? Bring them here and kill them right here in front of me." '

²⁸ When Jesus had said this, he went on ahead of them towards Jerusalem.

²⁹ He came near Bethphage and Bethany by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then he sent two of his disciples ahead.

³⁰ He said, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find an animal tied up. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it to me.

³¹ If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" tell him, "The Lord needs it." '

³² They went and found it just as Jesus had said.

³³ When they were untying the animal, the men who owned it asked them, `Why are you untying the animal?'

³⁴ They said, `The Lord needs it.'

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus and laid their coats on it. Then they put Jesus on it.

³⁶ As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road.

³⁷ He came near the top of the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then all the people who believed in him began to be happy. They sang out loudly, and praised God in a loud voice for all the big works they had seen.

³⁸ They said, `God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven where God is praised!'

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees who were among the people said to Jesus, `Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying that.'

⁴⁰ Jesus answered, `I tell you, if they do not speak like this the stones will call out.'

⁴¹ When Jesus came near, he saw the city. His heart was very sad and he cried.

⁴² He said, `I wish you knew today what things would give you peace! But now you do not see what they are.

⁴³ The time will come when the people who hate you will put a wall all around you. They will shut you up and keep you in on every side.

⁴⁴ They will break you down to the ground. They will kill the people within you. They will not leave one stone of your houses on top of another. That will happen because you did not know the time when God was ready to help you.'

⁴⁵ Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out the people who were buying and selling in the temple.

⁴⁶ He said to them, `It is written, "My house shall be a place where people talk with God." But you have made it a place for people who steal!'

⁴⁷ He taught in the temple every day. The chief priests, scribes and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him.

⁴⁸ But they did not find any way they could do it. All the people stayed around to hear what Jesus said.