Open English Translation LUKE Chapter 19

19 After that, Yeshua entered Yericho and continued walking through it. 2 Then, look, there was a man named Zacchaeus and he was a chief tax-collector and pretty wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who this Yeshua was, but couldn’t see over the crowd because he was rather short 4 so he ran along ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see Yeshua as he walked past. 5 However, as Yeshua came to that place, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry up and get down because I think it would be good to stay at your place.” 6 So he hurried down the tree and happily welcomed him.

7 But everyone who had observed it was grumbling, “Hoy, he’s going to stay with a sinful man.”

8 At dinner, Zacchaeus stood and said to the master, “Listen, master, I’m giving half of everything I own to the poor, and anyone that I defrauded, I’ll pay them back four times over.”

9 “Salvation came to this home today,” responded Yeshua, “as this man has also shown that he’s Abraham’s offspring 10 [ref]because humanity’s child came to look for those who’re lost and save them.”

11 Then Yeshua went on to tell a parable to those who heard all that because he was getting near to Yerusalem and they had assumed that God’s kingdom was going appear straight away. 12 Because of that, he told them, “Once a man of high status was going to a distant country to inherit a kingdom, and then to return after that. 13 So he called his ten slaves and gave them ten silver coins and told them to put them to work until he got back. 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation out to him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

15 “But he received his kingdom and then he headed back and sent for those slaves that he had given the silver to, to find out how well they’d traded. 16 The first slave arrived and said, ‘Master, I used your silver coin to earn ten more coins.’ 17 ‘Well done good slave,’ he said, ‘and because you were faithful with a little, I’ll put you in charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second slave came and said, ‘Your silver master, gained five more coins.’ 19 ‘You too,’ the master said, ‘will be put in charge of five cities.’ 20 Then another slave came and said, ‘Master, look, here’s your silver that I kept hidden away wrapped in a handkerchief 21 because I was scared of you, knowing that you’re a hard man—picking up what you didn’t put down, and harvesting where you didn’t sow.’ 22 ‘I’ll judge you by your own words,’ the master said, ‘you evil slave! You knew that I’m a hard man, picking up what I didn’t put down, and harvesting what I didn’t sow. 23 So why didn’t you take my silver to the bank? Then went I returned, at least I would have been able to collect some interest.’ 24 Then the master told the others who were standing there, ‘Take the silver coin away from him and give it to the slave who has the ten.’ 25 But they protested, ‘Master, he already has ten coins.’ 26 [ref]‘I’m telling you all,’ the master replied, ‘that everyone who has, will be given more, but the person who doesn’t have, even what they have will be taken away from them. 27 [ref]However, about those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them: bring them here and strike them down in front of me.’ ”

28 After he’d said that, Yeshua continued on towards Yerusalem 29 and as he got near to Bethfage and Bethany going towards the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his followers ahead, 30 telling them, “Go on to the next village, and when you enter it, you’ll see a colt that’s never been ridden tied up there. Untie it and bring it here. 31 But if anyone asks you why you’re untying it, tell them that the master needs it.”

32 So they went off and found it just like he’d told them, 33 and when they were untying the colt, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 “The master needs it,” they answered. 35 So they led it back to Yeshua, and after throwing some of their clothes over it, they mounted him on it. 36 Then as the colt moved along, they spread more of their clothes on the road.

37 As he was about to descend down the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of followers started celebrating and loudly praising God for all the miracles that they had seen, 38 [ref]saying, “The coming king has been blessed in the name of the master. May there be peace in heaven and brilliant splendour up high there.”

39 There were some members of the Pharisee party in the crowd and they suggested to him, “Teacher, tell your followers to stop!”

40 “I’m telling you,” Yeshua answered, “that if all of these people stayed silent then the stones would start shouting.”

41 As Yeshua got closer to Yerusalem, he cried over it, 42 saying, “If only you knew how to obtain peace today, but it’s been hidden from your eyes, 43 because in the future, your enemies will surround you and build a palisade around you and attack you from every side. 44 Then they’ll level you and your children along with you, and they’ll topple the stone walls and buildings, because you didn’t realise the importance of who was visiting you.”

45 Then Yeshua went into the temple and started throwing out the traders, 46 [ref]telling them, “It’s been written that ‘my house will be a place of prayer,’ but you all have made it into a den for robbers.”

47 [ref]After that, he taught in the temple every day, but the chief priests and the religious teachers were looking for a way to execute him, 48 but they didn’t come up with a plan because all the people loved to listen to him.