19:1 Jesus then entered Jericho and was passing through.

19:2 There was a man there by the name of Zaccheus, who was a district tax contractor and quite wealthy.

19:3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but he couldn’t see over the crowd because he was short.

19:4 So he ran ahead and climbed up a fig-mulberry tree so he could see him as he passed through.

19:5 As Jesus reached that spot he looked up into the tree and said, “Zaccheus, come down at once, because I will be staying at your house this very day!

19:6 ” So he hurried down and welcomed him gladly.

19:7 Those who saw this grumbled about the fact that he entered the home of a deviant to spend the night.

19:8 But Zaccheus stood up and said to the Master, “Look, Master, I’m going to give half of my possessions to the destitute. And if I have extorted anyone, I will pay back four times the amount.”

19:9 And Jesus replied, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because after all, he is a descendant of Abraham.

19:10 For the Human came to seek out and rescue the lost.”

19:11 Then Jesus decided to give a parable to those who had heard all of this, because they presumed the kingdom of God was about to appear since he was near Jerusalem.

19:12 And he said, “There was a certain person of noble birth who was about to go to a distant place to be crowned king and then return.

19:13 So he called in ten of his slaves and gave them money amounting to ten years’ wages. Then he told them, ‘Conduct business with this while I’m gone’.

19:14 But the citizens despised him and sent out a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this one to reign over us!’.

19:15 “But he was made king anyway, and when he returned he called in his slaves to whom he had given the money, to see what profit had been made.

19:16 The first one said, ‘Master, your original money has earned ten times as much!’

19:17 “ ‘Well done, good slave!’ he replied, ‘And since you were trustworthy with a little, you will be given jurisdiction over ten cities.’

19:18 “Then the second one said, ‘Master, your original money has earned five times as much!’

19:19 “And to this one he said, ‘You will be over five cities.’

19:20 “Then another one said, ‘Master, here’s your money. I kept it wrapped up and stored away,

19:21 because I was afraid of you. You are a harsh person who makes a profit from work you never did!’

19:22 “ ‘I will judge you according to the words from your own mouth!’ retorted the master. ‘So you knew I was harsh, making a profit from work I never did?

19:23 Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank to at least earn interest for me?’

19:24 “Then to those standing by he said, ‘Take the money from this one and give it to the one who earned ten times as much!‘

19:25 “ ‘But master’, they said, ‘He already has ten!’

19:26 “ ‘Now I say to you: The one who has will be given more, but the one who does not have will have more taken away.

19:27 Now as for my enemies who didn’t want me to be king, bring them here and execute them in front of me!’ ”

19:28 After he said all this, Jesus went ahead into Jerusalem.

19:29 And as he approached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent out two of his disciples with these instructions:

19:30 “Go straight to the village in front of you. You will find a colt hitched there. one that has never been ridden. Untie it and lead it here.

19:31 And if anyone wants to know why you untied it, tell them that the Master needs it.”

19:32 So the ones who were sent off went and found it just as Jesus had said.

19:33 They untied the colt, but its owners said to them, “What are you doing?”

19:34 And they replied, “The Master needs it.”

19:35 Then they led it to Jesus, laid their outer clothing on it, and sat Jesus on it.

19:36 Now as he went along, people spread clothing on the path in front of him.

19:37 And as he was almost to the descent from the Mount of Olives, everyone in the crowd full of disciples began to celebrate and praise God loudly for all the powerful things they had seen:

19:38 “Blessed is the king bearing the name of the Master! Peace and honor in the presence of God!”

19:39 Then some of the Pharisees among the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

19:40 But Jesus replied, “I say to you, that if these people are silent, the stones themselves will shout!”

19:41 Then as he came closer and saw the city, he began to sob over it:

19:42 “If only you realized that in this day you could have had peace, yet now it is hidden from your eyes!

19:43 The day will come when your enemies will throw siege ramps all around you and press in on you from all sides.

19:44 They will destroy you along with your children, and they will not leave one stone on top of another, all because you did not recognize the era in which you were to be set free!”

19:45 Upon entering the temple compound, Jesus began to throw out the merchants

19:46 and said, “It is written: ‘my house will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a robbers’ hideout!’ ”

19:47 He was teaching every day in the temple compound. The ruling priests, scripture scholars, and prominent people looked for a way to get rid of him,

19:48 but they couldn’t figure out how, since the people were hanging on his every word.