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¹ As Jesus[fn] entered Jericho and was passing through it, ² a man named Zacchaeus appeared. He was a leading tax collector, and a rich one at that! ³ He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't do so because of the crowd. (He was short in height.) ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus,[fn] who was going to pass that way. ⁵ When Jesus came to the tree,[fn] he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today." ⁶ Zacchaeus[fn] came down quickly and was glad to welcome him into his home.[fn] ⁷ But all the people who saw this began to complain, saying, "He went to be the guest of a notorious[fn] sinner!"[xr] ⁸ Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe[fn] if I have cheated anyone in any way."[xr] ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this home, because he, too, is a descendant of Abraham.[xr] ¹⁰ For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."[xr]

¹¹ As they were listening to this, Jesus[fn] went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the people[fn] thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.[xr] ¹² So he said, "A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king and then to return.[xr] ¹³ He called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins.[fn] He said to them, 'Invest this money until I come back.' ¹⁴ But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation to follow him, saying, 'We don't want this man to rule over us!'[xr] ¹⁵ "After he was appointed king, he came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so that he could find out what they had made by investing. ¹⁶ The first servant[fn] came and said, 'Sir, your coin has earned ten more coins.' ¹⁷ The king[fn] said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.'[xr] ¹⁸ "The second servant[fn] came and said, 'Your coin, sir, has earned five coins.' ¹⁹ The king[fn] said to him, 'You take charge of five cities.' ²⁰ "Then the other servant[fn] came and said, 'Sir, look! Here's your coin. I've kept it in a cloth for safekeeping ²¹ because I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You withdraw what you didn't deposit and harvest what you didn't plant.'[xr] ²² The king[fn] said to him, 'I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, and that I withdraw what I didn't deposit and harvest what I didn't plant?[xr] ²³ Then why didn't you put my money in the bank? When I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' ²⁴ "So the king[fn] told those standing nearby, 'Take the coin away from him and give it to the man who has the ten coins.' ²⁵ They answered him, 'Sir, he already[fn] has ten coins!' ²⁶ 'I tell you, to everyone who has something, more will be given, but from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.[xr] ²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine who didn't want me to be their king - bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!'"

²⁸ After Jesus[fn] had said this, he traveled on and went up to Jerusalem.[xr] ²⁹ When he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead[xr] ³⁰ and said, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter, you will find a colt tied up that no one has ever sat on. Untie it, and bring it along.[fn] ³¹ If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: 'The Lord needs it.'" ³² So those who were sent went off and found it as he had told them. ³³ While they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" ³⁴ The disciples[fn] answered, "The Lord needs it." ³⁵ Then they brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it, and Jesus sat upon it.[xr] ³⁶ As he was riding along, people[fn] kept spreading their coats on the road.[xr] ³⁷ He was now approaching the descent from the Mount of Olives. The whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice and to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen. ³⁸ They said,[xr] "How blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord![fn] Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" ³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,[fn] "Teacher, tell your disciples to be quiet." ⁴⁰ He replied, "I tell you, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out!"[xr]

⁴¹ When he came closer and saw the city, he began to cry over it,[xr] ⁴² saying, "If you had only known today what could have brought you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come[fn] when your enemies will build walls around you, surround you, and close you in on every side.[xr] ⁴⁴ They will level you to the ground - you and your children within you. They will not leave one stone on another within you, because you didn't recognize the time when God came to help you."[fn][xr] ⁴⁵ Then Jesus[fn] went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling things.[xr] ⁴⁶ He said to them, "It is written, 'My house is to be called a house of prayer,'[fn] but you have turned it into a hideout[fn] for bandits!"[xr] ⁴⁷ Then he began teaching in the temple every day. The high priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him,[xr] ⁴⁸ but they couldn't find a way to do it, because all the people were eager to hear him.