Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Of Zaccheus, and of the ten servants to whom the minas were delivered. Christ rides to Jerusalem and weeps over it.

19 And he entered in and went through Jericho. ² And there was a man named Zaccheus, who was a chief publican, and was rich also. ³ And he made efforts to see Jesus, who he was. But due to the press of people, he could not, because he was of a low stature. ⁴ And so he ran ahead and climbed up into a wild fig tree in order to see him, for he would be coming that way.

⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacche, come down at once, for today I must stay at your house. ⁶ And he came down hastily, and brought him home joyfully. ⁷ And when the people saw that, they all murmured, saying, He has gone in to stay with a man that is a sinner.

⁸ And Zacche stood forth and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord: half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have done any man wrong, I will restore him fourfold. ⁹ And Jesus said to him, This day salvation has come to this house, seeing that he also has become the child of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

¹¹ As the people listened to these things, he added a similitude, because he was nearing Jerusalem, and also because they thought that the kingdom of God would shortly appear. ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants and gave them ten minas, saying to them, Trade with these till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent messengers after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, when the nobleman returned and had received his kingdom, he commanded those servants to whom he had given his money to be called to him, to find out how each had done. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, Lord, your mina has increased ten minas. ¹⁷ And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little thing, you shall have authority over ten cities. ¹⁸ And the other came, saying, Lord, your mina has increased five minas. ¹⁹ And to him he said, You also shall be over five cities.

²⁰ And the third came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept in a napkin. ²¹ For I feared you, because you are a hard man. You take where you did not invest, and reap what you did not sow.

²² And his lord said to him, By your own mouth I judge you, you evil servant. You knew that I am a hard man, taking where I did not invest and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then didn’t you put my money into the bank, so that at my coming I could have claimed what is my own with profit?

²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, Take from him that mina, and give it the one who has ten minas. ²⁵ And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas!

²⁶ I say to you that to all those who have, it will be given, and from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken from him. ²⁷ Moreover, those my enemies who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.

²⁸ And when Jesus had thus spoken, he went on ahead, ascending up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ And it so was, when he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ³⁰ saying, Go into the town which is in front of you, in which, as soon as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no man ever yet sat. Untie him and bring him here. ³¹ And if anyone asks you why you are untying him, thus say to him: The Lord has need of him.

³² Those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, the owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? ³⁴ And they said, Because the Lord has need of him.

³⁵ And they brought him to Jesus. And they cast their cloaks on the colt and set Jesus thereon. ³⁶ And as he went, people spread their cloaks in the way. ³⁷ And when he came now to where he was to descend from the Mount of Olives, the whole number of the disciples began to rejoice, and to laud God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, Blessed be the king that comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the company said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. ⁴⁰ He answered and said to them, I tell you, if these held their peace, the stones would cry out.

⁴¹ And when he came near, he beheld the city and wept on it, ⁴² saying, If only you had known those things that belong to your peace, at this your very time! But now they are hid from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you that your enemies will cast up a siege-mound about you, and compass you around, and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and lay you level with the ground, with your children who are in you. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not acknowledge the time of your visitation.

⁴⁵ And he went into the temple and began to cast out those who sold therein, and those who bought, ⁴⁶ saying to them, It is written: My house is the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.

⁴⁷ And he taught daily in the temple. The high priests and the scribes and the chief men of the people went about to destroy him, but could not find what to do, ⁴⁸ because all the people stayed close by him, and listened attentively to him.

They ask Christ one question, and he asks them another. The parable of the vineyard. Of tribute to be given to Caesar, and how Christ stops the mouths of the Sadducees.

20 And it happened in one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, the high priests and the scribes came with the elders ² and spoke to him, saying, Tell us by what authority you do these things. Or who is it that gave you this authority? ³ He answered and said to them, I also will ask you a question, and answer me. ⁴ The baptism of John: was it from heaven, or of men?

⁵ And they thought within themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not believe him? ⁶ But if we say of men, all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John is a prophet. ⁷ And they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸ And Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

⁹ Then he began and put forth to the people this similitude: A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to farmers, and went himself into a far country for a great season. ¹⁰ And when the time came, he sent a servant to his tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruits of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ And again he sent yet another servant. And they beat him and grievously used him also, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² Moreover he sent a third too, and him they wounded and cast out.

¹³ Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my dear son; him perhaps they will respect, when they see him. ¹⁴ But when the farmers saw him, they thought in themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him so that the inheritance can be ours. ¹⁵ And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now, what will the lord of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy these farmers, and will let out his vineyard to others.

When they heard that, they said, God forbid!

¹⁷ And he looked upon them and said, What then does this mean that is written: The stone that the builders refused, the same is made the head cornerstone; ¹⁸ whosoever stumbles at that stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder?

¹⁹ And the high priests and the scribes in that same hour went about to lay hands on him, but they feared the people. For they perceived that he had spoken this similitude against them.

²⁰ And they watched him, and sent forth spies who would pretend to be sincere, to take him in his words, and to deliver him to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that you say and teach right, and do not consider any man’s degree, but teach the way of God truly. ²² Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar, or no?

²³ He perceived their craftiness and said to them, Why do you bait me? ²⁴ Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription does it have?

They answered and said, Caesar’s.

²⁵ And he said to them, Give then to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God.

²⁶ And they could not reprove his saying before the people. But they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

²⁷ Then there came to him certain of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection. ²⁸ And they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if any man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no issue, then his brother should take his wife and raise up seed for his brother. ²⁹ There were seven brethren, and the first took a wife, and died without children. ³⁰ And the second took the wife, but he died childless. ³¹ And the third took her, and so on likewise the rest of the seven, leaving no children behind them, and died. ³² Last of all, the woman died also. ³³ Now at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the brothers? For seven had her as wife.

³⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, The children of this world marry and are married, ³⁵ but those who will be made worthy to enjoy that world, and the resurrection from death, neither marry, nor are married, ³⁶ nor yet can die any more. For they are like the angels, and are the sons of God inasmuch as they are the children of the resurrection. ³⁷ And that the dead shall rise again, even Moses signified in his account of the bush when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. For all live in him.

³⁹ Then certain of the Pharisees answered and said, Teacher, you have well said. ⁴⁰ And after that they dared not ask him any question at all.

⁴¹ Then he said to them, How is it they say that Christ is David’s son? ⁴² And David himself says in the book of the Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, ⁴³ till I make your enemies your footstool. ⁴⁴ Seeing David calls him Lord, how is he then his son?

⁴⁵ Then, in the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long clothing, and love greetings in the markets, the highest seats in the synagogues, and the places of honour at feasts; ⁴⁷ who devour widows’ houses, and that under a colour of long praying. The same shall receive greater damnation.