Zacchaeus
1 Jesus was going through Jericho, 2 where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting taxes and was very rich. 3-4 Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree.
5 When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.” 6 Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus.
7 Everyone who saw this started grumbling, “This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.”
8 Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.”
9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”
A Story about Ten Servants
(Matthew 25.14-30)11 The crowd was still listening to Jesus as he was getting close to Jerusalem. Many of them thought that God's kingdom would soon appear, 12 and Jesus told them this story:
A prince once went to a foreign country to be crowned king and then to return. 13 But before leaving, he called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, “Use this to earn more money until I get back.”
14 But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the foreign country to say, “We don't want this man to be our king.”
15 After the prince had been made king, he returned and called in his servants. He asked them how much they had earned with the money they had been given.
16 The first servant came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much.”
17 “That's fine, my good servant!” the king said. “Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small amount, you will be given ten cities to rule.”
18 The second one came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much.”
19 The king said, “You will be given five cities.”
20 Another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a handkerchief. 21 You are a hard man, and I was afraid of you. You take what isn't yours, and you harvest crops you didn't plant.”
22 “You worthless servant!” the king told him. “You have condemned yourself by what you have just said. You knew I am a hard man, taking what isn't mine and harvesting what I've not planted. 23 Why didn't you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”
24 Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”
25 But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”
26 The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don't have anything. 27 Now bring me the enemies who didn't want me to be their king. Kill them while I watch!”
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11Mark 11.1-11John 12.12-19)28 When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. 29 As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32 They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. 33 While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”
34 They answered, “The Lord needs it.”
35 Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. 36 And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37 When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. 38 They shouted,
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory to God.”
39 Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”
40 But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”
41 When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried 42 and said:
It is too bad that today your people don't know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them. 43 Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will surround you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will level you to the ground and kill your people. Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another. This will happen because you did not see that God had come to save you.
Jesus in the Temple
(Matthew 21.12-17Mark 11.15-19John 2.13-22)45 When Jesus entered the temple, he started chasing out the people who were selling things. 46 He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be a place of worship.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”
47 Each day, Jesus kept on teaching in the temple. So the chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses, and some other important people tried to have him killed. 48 But they could not find a way to do it, because everyone else was eager to listen to him.
1 Now when Iesus entred and passed through Iericho, 2 Beholde, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chiefe receiuer of the tribute, and he was riche. 3 And he sought to see Iesus, who hee should be, and coulde not for the preasse, because he was of a lowe stature. 4 Wherefore he ranne before, and climed vp into a wilde figge tree, that he might see him: for he should come that way. 5 And when Iesus came to the place, he looked vp, and saw him, and said vnto him, Zaccheus, come downe at once: for to day I must abide at thine house. 6 Then he came downe hastily, and receiued him ioyfully. 7 And when all they sawe it, they murmured, saying, that hee was gone in to lodge with a sinfull man. 8 And Zaccheus stood forth, and said vnto the Lord, Beholde, Lord, the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore: and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation, I restore him foure folde. 9 Then Iesus said to him, This day is saluation come vnto this house, forasmuch as hee is also become the sonne of Abraham. 10 For the Sonne of man is come to seeke, and to saue that which was lost. 11 And whiles they heard these thinges, hee continued and spake a parable, because hee was neere to Hierusalem, and because also they thought that the kingdom of God should shortly appeare. 12 He saide therefore, A certaine noble man went into a farre countrey, to receiue for himselfe a kingdome, and so to come againe. 13 And he called his ten seruants, and deliuered them ten pieces of money, and sayd vnto them, Occupie till I come. 14 Nowe his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not haue this man to reigne ouer vs. 15 And it came to passe, when hee was come againe, and had receiued his kingdome, that he commanded the seruants to be called to him, to whome he gaue his money, that he might knowe what euery man had gained. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy piece hath encreased ten pieces. 17 And he sayd vnto him, Well, good seruant: because thou hast bene faithfull in a very litle thing, take thou authoritie ouer ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy piece hath encreased fiue pieces. 19 And to the same he sayd, Be thou also ruler ouer fiue cities. 20 So the other came, and sayd, Lord, beholde thy piece, which I haue laide vp in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art a straight man: thou takest vp, that thou layedst not downe, and reapest that thou diddest not sowe. 22 Then he sayde vnto him, Of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee, O euill seruant. Thou knewest that I am a straight man, taking vp that I layd not downe, and reaping that I did not sowe. 23 Wherefore then gauest not thou my money into the banke, that at my coming I might haue required it with vantage? 24 And he sayd to them that stoode by, Take from him that piece, and giue it him that hath ten pieces. 25 (And they sayd vnto him, Lord, hee hath ten pieces.) 26 For I say vnto you, that vnto all them that haue, it shalbe giuen: and from him that hath not, euen that he hath, shalbe taken from him. 27 Moreouer, those mine enemies, which would not that I should reigne ouer them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 28 And when he had thus spoken, he went forth before, ascending vp to Hierusalem. 29 And it came to passe, when hee was come neere to Bethphage, and Bethania, besides the mount which is called the mount of Oliues, he sent two of his disciples, 30 Saying, Goe ye to the towne which is before you, wherein, assoone as ye are come, ye shall finde a colte tied, whereon neuer man sate: loose him, and bring him hither. 31 And if any man aske you, why ye loose him, thus shall ye say vnto him, Because the Lord hath neede of him. 32 So they that were sent, went their way, and found it as he had sayd vnto them. 33 And as they were loosing the colte, the owners thereof sayd vnto them, Why loose ye the colte? 34 And they sayd, The Lord hath neede of him. 35 So they brought him to Iesus, and they cast their garments on the colte, and set Iesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spred their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was nowe come neere to the going downe of the mount of Oliues, the whole multitude of the disciples began to reioyce, and to prayse God with a loude voyce, for all the great workes that they had seene, 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that commeth in the Name of the Lord: peace in heauen, and glory in the highest places. 39 Then some of the Pharises of the companie sayd vnto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 But he answered, and sayd vnto them, I tell you, that if these should holde their peace, the stones would crie. 41 And when he was come neere, he behelde the Citie, and wept for it, 42 Saying, O if thou haddest euen knowen at the least in this thy day those things, which belong vnto thy peace! but nowe are they hid from thine eyes. 43 For the dayes shall come vpon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compasse thee round, and keepe thee in on euery side, 44 And shall make thee euen with ye ground, and thy children which are in thee, and they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone, because thou knewest not that season of thy visitation. 45 He went also into the Temple, and began to cast out them that solde therein, and them that bought, 46 Saying vnto them, It is written, Mine house is the house of prayer, but ye haue made it a denne of theeues. 47 And he taught dayly in the Temple. And the hie Priests and the Scribes, and the chiefe of the people sought to destroy him. 48 But they could not finde what they might doe to him: for all the people hanged vpon him when they heard him.