Luke 19

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 There was a man named Zacchaeus, he was a chief tax collector and very rich.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he could not because of the crowd, and he was short.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quick, I need to stay at your house today.”

6 So he came down fast and welcomed Him with joy.

7 When people saw it, they started talking, saying, “He has gone to be a guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Lord, look, half of what I have I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody, I will pay them back four times over.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 While they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and the people thought the kingdom of God was going to show up right away.

12 He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom and then come back.

13 He called ten of his servants, gave them each a mina, and said, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

14 But his own people hated him and sent a message after him saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’

15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he called the servants he had given money to so he could find out what they gained.

16 The first came and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten more.’

17 He said, ‘Well done, good servant. Because you were faithful in a small thing, you will have authority over ten cities.’

18 The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned five more.’

19 He said to him, ‘You will be over five cities.’

20 Then another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I kept it laid away in a cloth.

21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man, you take what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22 He said, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant. You knew I was a hard man, taking what I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow,

23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, so I could have collected it with interest when I came back,’

24 Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten.’

25 They said, ‘Master, he already has ten!’

26 He replied, ‘I am telling you, everyone who has will be given more, but the one who does not have, even what they have will be taken away.

27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to rule over them, bring them here and deal with them in front of me.’”

The Triumphal Entry

28 After Jesus said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter, you will find a colt tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

32 Those sent ahead went and found it just like He told them.

33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They answered, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt, and put Jesus on it.

36 As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 As He came near the road going down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples started praising God loudly for all the miracles they had seen,

38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some Pharisees in the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

40 He answered, “I am telling you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

41 As He came closer and saw the city, He wept over it,

42 saying, “If you had known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes.

43 The days will come when your enemies will build barricades against you, surround you, and close you in on every side.

44 They will tear you down, you and your children within you, and not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s visitation.”

Jesus Clears the Temple

45 Then He went into the temple courts and started driving out those who were selling,

46 saying, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.”

47 Every day He was teaching at the temple, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were trying to kill Him.

48 Yet they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were hanging on to every word He said.