Lucas 19

¹ When Jesus had entered, and was passing through Jericho,

² behold, a man named Zaccheus, a rich man, and chief of the publicans,

³ endeavored to see what sort of person he was, but could not for the press, being of a low stature.

⁴ Therefore, running before, he climbed up into a sycamore, to see him; having observed that he was going that way.

⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and seeing him, said, Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at your house.

⁶ And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

⁷ When the multitude perceived this, they said, murmuring, He is gone to be entertained by a sinner.

⁸ But Zaccheus, presenting himself before Jesus, said, Master, half of my goods I will give to the poor; and if in anything I have wronged any man, I will restore fourfold.

⁹ And Jesus said, concerning him, Today is salvation come to this house; inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

¹⁰ For the Son of Man is come to seek and recover that which was lost.

¹¹ As the people were attentive, he added this parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and they fancied the Reign of God would immediately commence.

¹² A certain nobleman went abroad to procure for himself the royalty, and then return;

¹³ and having called ten of his servants, and delivered to them ten pounds, he said, improve these till I return.

¹⁴ Now his citizens hated him; and sending an embassy after him, protested, We will not have this man for our king.

¹⁵ When he returned, vested with royal power, he commanded those servants to be called to whom he had committed the money, that he might know what every one had gained.

¹⁶ Then the first came, and said, My Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds.

¹⁷ He answered, Well done, good servant; because you have been faithful in a very small matter, receive the government of ten cities.

¹⁸ And the second who came, said, My Lord, your pound has gained five pounds.

¹⁹ He answered, Be you also governor of five cities.

²⁰ Another came, saying, My Lord, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;

²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are a hard master; you exact what you did not give, and reap what you did not sow.

²² He answered, Out of your own mouth, you malignant servant, I will condemn you. Did you know that I am a hard master, exacting what I did not give, and reaping what I did not sow?

²³ Why, then, did you not put my money into the bank; that at my return I might have received it with interest?

²⁴ Then he said to his attendants, Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has ten pounds.

²⁵ They answered, My Lord, he has ten pounds.

²⁶ He replied, I tell you, that to every one who has, more shall be given; but from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken.

²⁷ But as for those my enemies, who would not have me for their king, bring them hither, and slay them in my presence.

²⁸ After this discourse, Jesus walked foremost, traveling toward Jerusalem.

²⁹ When he approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mountain called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

³⁰ saying, Go to yonder village, where, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no man ever rode; loose him, and bring him.

³¹ If any one ask you why you loose him, you shall answer, Because the Master needs him.

³² Accordingly, they who received this order, went, and found everything as he had told them.

³³ As they were loosing the colt, the owners said to them, Why loose you the colt?

³⁴ They answered, The Master needs him.

³⁵ So they brought him to Jesus, and having thrown their mantles upon the colt, set Jesus on it.

³⁶ As he went, the people spread their mantles in the way before him.

³⁷ When he was so near as the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God in loud acclamations, for all the miracles which they had seen;

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

³⁹ Upon this, some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Rabbi, rebuke your disciples.

⁴⁰ He answered, I tell you, that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.

⁴¹ When he came near, and beheld the city, he wept over it,

⁴² saying, O that thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which concern thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes:

⁴³ for the days are coming upon thee, when thine enemies will surround thee with a rampart, and inclose thee, and shut thee up on every side;

⁴⁴ and will level thee with the ground, thee and thy children, and will not leave one stone upon another, because thou didst not know the time when thou wast visited.

⁴⁵ Afterward he went into the temple, and drove out thence those who sold, and those who bought in it,

⁴⁶ «saying to them, It is written,'My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.'»

⁴⁷ And he taught daily in the temple, while the chief priests and the scribes, and persons of principal note, sought his destruction;

⁴⁸ but could not devise how to effect it: for all the people heard him with the greatest attention.