Study Desk

Some^(ac) people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Jesus, however, invited them: "Let the little children come to Me,^(ad) and don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I assure you:^(ae) Whoever does not welcome^(af) the kingdom of God like a little child^(ag) will never enter it."

A^(ah) ruler^(ai) asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"^(aj)

"Why do you call Me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good but One—God.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother. " ^(ak)[j]

"I have kept all these from my youth," he said.

When Jesus heard this, He told him, "You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor,^(al) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(am) Then come, follow Me." ^(an)

After he heard this, he became extremely sad,^(ao) because he was very rich.

Seeing that he became sad,^[k] Jesus said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Those who heard this asked, "Then who can be saved?"^(ap)

He replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." ^(aq)

Then Peter said, "Look, we have left what we had and followed^(ar) You."

So He said to them, "I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more at this time,^(as) and eternal life in the age to come."

Then^(at) He took the Twelve aside and told them, "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem.^(au) Everything that is written^(av) through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. ^(aw)

For He will be handed over to the Gentiles,^(ax) and He will be mocked,^(ay) insulted, spit^(az) on;

and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day." ^(ba)

They understood none of these things.^(bb) This saying^[l](bc) was hidden^(bd) from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As^(be) He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant.

"Jesus the Nazarene^(bf) is passing by," they told him.

So he called out,^(bg) "Jesus, Son of David,^(bh) have mercy^(bi) on me!"

Then those in front told him to keep quiet,^[m] but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him,

"What do you want Me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!"

"Receive your sight!" ^(bj) Jesus told him. "Your faith has healed you." ^[n](bk)

Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God.^(bl) All the people,^(bm) when they saw it, gave praise to God.

He entered Jericho and was passing through.

There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house."

So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully.

All who saw it began to complain,^(a) "He's gone to lodge with a sinful man!"

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, I'll give^[a] half of my possessions to the poor,^(b) Lord! And if I have extorted^(c) anything from anyone, I'll pay^[b] back four times as much!"^(d)

"Today salvation^(e) has come to this house," Jesus told him, "because he too is a son of Abraham. ^(f)

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost." ^[c](g)

As^(h) they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem,⁽ⁱ⁾ and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.^(j)

Therefore He said: "A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king^[d] and then return.

He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas,^[e] and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.'

"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don't want this man to rule over us!'

"At his return, having received the authority to be king,^[f] he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business.

The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.'

"‘Well done, good^[g] slave!' he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful^(k) in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.'

"The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.'

"So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.'

"And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth

because I was afraid of you, for you're a tough man: you collect what you didn't deposit and reap what you didn't sow.'^(l)

"He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said,^[h] you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn't deposit and reaping what I didn't sow,

why didn't you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!'

So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.'

"But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.'

"‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. ^(m)

But bring here these enemies of mine,⁽ⁿ⁾ who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter^[i] them in my presence.'"

When^(o) He had said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.^(p)

As He approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives,^(q) He sent two of the disciples

and said, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' say this: ‘The Lord needs it.'"

So those who were sent left and found it just as He had told them.^(r)

As they were untying the young donkey, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the donkey?"

"The Lord needs it," they said.

Then^(s) they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their robes on the donkey, they helped Jesus get on it.^(t)

As He was going along, they were spreading their robes on the road.^(u)

Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

The King ^(v) who comes in the name of the Lord ^[j](w)[k] is the blessed One. Peace in heaven and glory^(x) in the highest heaven!^(y)

Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."

He answered, "I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!" ^(z)

As He approached and saw the city, He wept^(aa) over it,

saying, "If you knew^(ab) this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden^(ac) from your eyes.

For the days will come on you^(ad) when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. ^(ae)

They will crush you and your children within you to the ground,^(af) and they will not leave one stone on another^(ag) in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." ^(ah)

He^(ai) went into the temple complex and began to throw out those who were selling,^[l]

and He said, "It is written, My house will be a house of prayer, ^(aj) but you have made it a den of thieves !" ^(ak)[m]

Every day He was teaching^(al) in the temple complex. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to destroy^(am) Him,

but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people^(an) were captivated by what they heard.^[n]