Luke 19 AMPC

1. AND [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it.

2. And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich.

3. And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature.

4. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass that way.

5. And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.

6. So he hurried and came down, and he received and welcomed Him joyfully.

7. And when the people saw it, they all muttered among themselves and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner.

8. So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much. [Exod. 22:1; Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:6, 7.]

9. And Jesus said to him, Today is [Messianic and spiritual] salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham;

10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

11. Now as they were listening to these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was approaching Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to be brought to light and shown forth immediately.

12. He therefore said, A certain nobleman went into a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom and then to return.

13. Calling ten of his [own] bond servants, he gave them ten minas [each equal to about one hundred days' wages or nearly twenty dollars] and said to them, Buy and sell with these while I go and then return.

14. But his citizens detested him and sent an embassy after him to say, We do not want this man to become ruler over us.

15. When he returned after having received the kingdom, he ordered these bond servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know how much each one had made by buying and selling.

16. The first one came before him, and he said, Lord, your mina has made ten [additional] minas.

17. And he said to him, Well done, excellent bond servant! Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little [thing], you shall have authority over ten cities.

18. The second one also came and said, Lord, your mina has made five more minas.

19. And he said also to him, And you will take charge over five cities.

20. Then another came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept laid up in a handkerchief.

21. For I was [constantly] afraid of you, because you are a stern (hard, severe) man; you pick up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.

22. He said to the servant, I will judge and condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked slave! You knew [did you] that I was a stern (hard, severe) man, picking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow?

23. Then why did you not put my money in a bank, so that on my return, I might have collected it with interest?

24. And he said to the bystanders, Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.

25. And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas [already]!

26. And [said Jesus,] I tell you that to everyone who gets and has will more be given, but from the man who does not get and does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

27. [The indignant king ended by saying] But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them–bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!

28. And after saying these things, Jesus went on ahead of them, going up to Jerusalem.

29. When He came near Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called [the Mount of] Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

30. Telling [them], Go into the village yonder; there, as you go in, you will find a donkey's colt tied, on which no man has ever yet sat. Loose it and bring [it here].

31. If anybody asks you, Why are you untying [it]? you shall say this: Because the Lord has need of it.

32. So those who were sent went away and found it [just] as He had told them.

33. And as they were loosening the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt?

34. And they said, The Lord has need of it.

35. And they brought it to Jesus; then they threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it. [Zech. 9:9.]

36. And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road. [II Kings 9:13.]

37. As He was approaching [the city], at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God [extolling Him exultantly and] loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed,

38. Crying, Blessed (celebrated with praises) is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven [freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] and glory (majesty and splendor) in the highest [heaven]! [Ps. 118:26.]

39. And some of the Pharisees from the throng said to Jesus, Teacher, reprove Your disciples!

40. He replied, I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out. [Hab. 2:11.]

41. And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it,

42. Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace–your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness–depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43. For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side. [Isa. 29:3; Jer. 6:6; Ezek. 4:2.]

44. And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].

45. Then He went into the temple [enclosure] and began to drive out those who were selling,

46. Telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a cave of robbers. [Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11.]

47. And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death,

48. But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him.