Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.^(A)

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig^(A) tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.^(B)

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”^(C)

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,^(D) “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything,^(E) I will pay back four times the amount.”^(F)

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.^{(G) 10} For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”^(H)