Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. 3Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” 6So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.”
9Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. 10The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.”
The Story of Three Slaves
11While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away. 12Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. 13So he sent for ten of his slaves. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.
14“But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15“But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the slaves he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.
16“The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’
17“ ‘You have done well, my good slave!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’
18“The second slave came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’
19“His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’
20“Then another slave came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’
22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil slave! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? 23Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’
24“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’
25“ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’
26“He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what they have will be taken away from them. 27And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem. 29He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, 30“Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. 31Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. 33They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.
37Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,
38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”
40“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep. 42He said, “I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side. 44You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
45Then Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out those who were selling there. 46He told them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a ‘den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
47Every day Jesus was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were trying to kill him. So were the leaders among the people. 48But they couldn’t find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.
Zakeyu Apulumutsidwa
1Yesu analowa mu Yeriko napitirira. 2Kunali munthu kumeneko dzina lake Zakeyu; iye anali mkulu wa wolandira msonkho ndipo anali wolemera. 3Iye ankafuna kuona Yesu kuti ndani, koma pokhala wamfupi sanathe chifukwa cha gulu la anthu. 4Choncho iye anathamangira patsogolo ndipo anakwera mu mtengo wamkuyu kuti amuone Iye, pakuti Yesu ankadutsa njira imeneyo.
5Yesu atafika pa malopo, anayangʼana mmwamba ndipo anati kwa iye, “Zakeyu, tsika msangamsanga. Ine ndiyenera kukhala mʼnyumba mwako lero.” 6Ndipo nthawi yomweyo anatsika ndipo anamulandira mosangalala.
7Anthu onse ataona zimenezi anayamba kungʼungʼudza, nati, “Iye akupita kuti akakhale mlendo wa wochimwa.”
8Koma Zakeyu anayimirira ndipo anati kwa Ambuye, “Taonani Ambuye! Theka la chuma changa ndipereka kwa osauka ndipo ngati ndinamubera wina aliyense pa chilichonse, ndidzamubwezera mochulukitsa kanayi.”
9Yesu anati kwa iye, “Lero chipulumutso chafika mʼnyumba ino, chifukwa munthu uyu nayenso ndi mwana wa Abrahamu. 10Pajatu Mwana wa Munthu anabwera kudzafunafuna ndi kupulumutsa chotayikacho.”
Antchito Opindula Mosiyana
11Pamene iwo ankamvera izi, Iye anapitiriza kuwawuza fanizo, chifukwa Iye anali kufupi ndi Yerusalemu ndipo anthu ankaganiza kuti ufumu wa Mulungu ukanaoneka nthawi yomweyo. 12Iye anati, “Munthu wa banja laufumu anapita ku dziko lakutali kukadzozedwa ufumu ndipo kenaka abwerenso kwawo. 13Tsono iye anayitana antchito ake khumi ndi kuwapatsa ndalama khumi. Iye anati, ‘Gwiritsani ntchito ndalama izi mpaka nditabwerera.’
14“Koma anthu ake anamuda ndipo anatuma nthumwi pambuyo pake kukanena kuti, ‘Sitikufuna munthuyu kuti akhale mfumu yathu.’
15“Iye analandira ufumuwo ngakhale zinali zotero, ndipo anabwerera kwawo. Kenaka iye anatumiza uthenga kwa antchito ake amene anawapatsa ndalama aja, ndi cholinga chakuti adziwe chimene anapindula nazo.
16“Woyamba anabwera ndipo anati, ‘Bwana ndalama zanu zapindula khumi zina.’
17“Bwana wakeyo anayankha kuti, Wachita bwino wantchito wabwino. ‘Chifukwa wakhulupirika pa zinthu zazingʼono, lamulira mizinda khumi.’
18“Wachiwiri anabwera ndipo anati, ‘Bwana, ndalama zanu zapindula zisanu zina.’
19“Bwana anayankha kuti, ‘Iwe lamulira mizinda isanu.’
20“Kenaka wantchito wina anabwera ndipo anati, ‘Bwana, ndalama yanu nayi; ine ndinayibisa ndi kuyisunga mʼkansalu. 21Ine ndimakuopani, chifukwa ndinu munthu wowuma mtima. Inu mumatenga chimene simunachiyike ndi kukolola chimene simunadzale.’
22“Bwana wake anayankha kuti, ‘Ine ndikukuweruza iwe ndi mawu ako omwewo. Ndiwe wantchito woyipa. Kani umadziwa kuti ndine munthu wowuma mtima ndi wotenga chimene sindinasungitse, ndi kukolola chimene sindinadzale? 23Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani sunasungitse ndalama yanga, kuti ine pobwera, ndidzayitenge ndi chiwongoladzanja?’
24“Ndipo iye anawuza amene anayimirira pafupi kuti, ‘Tengani ndalama yake ndi kumupatsa amene ali ndi ndalama khumiyo!’ ”
25Iwo anati, “Bwana iyeyu ali nazo kale khumi!”
26Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndikukuwuzani kuti, aliyense amene ali nazo, adzapatsidwa zambiri, koma amene alibe, adzalandidwa ngakhale chimene ali nacho. 27Tsono adani anga aja amene sankafuna kuti ndikhale mfumu yawo, abweretseni pano ndi kuwapha ine ndikuona.”
Yesu Alowa mu Yerusalemu Mwaulemerero
28Yesu atatha kunena izi, anayendabe kupita ku Yerusalemu. 29Iye atayandikira ku Betifage ndi Betaniya pa phiri lotchedwa Olivi, Iye anatuma awiri a ophunzira nati kwa iwo, 30“Pitani mʼmudzi uli patsogolo panu, mukakalowa mʼmudzimo, mukapeza mwana wabulu womangiriridwa amene wina aliyense sanakwerepo. Mukamumasule ndi kubwera naye kuno. 31Ngati wina aliyense akakufunsani kuti, ‘Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukumumasula mwana buluyo?’ Mukamuwuze kuti, ‘Ambuye akumufuna.’ ”
32Otumidwawo anapita nakamupeza mwana wabulu monga momwe Yesu anawawuzira. 33Pamene ankamasula mwana wabuluyo, eni ake anawafunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukumasula mwana wabuluyo?”
34Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ambuye akumufuna.”
35Iwo anabweretsa buluyo kwa Yesu, naponya zovala zawo pa bulupo ndi kumukwezapo Yesu. 36Pamene ankapita, anthu anayala zovala zawo mu msewu.
37Iye atafika pafupi ndi pamene msewu umatsikira ku phiri la Olivi, gulu lonse la ophunzira linayamba kuyamika Mulungu mwachimwemwe ndi mawu ofuwula chifukwa cha zodabwitsa zonse anaziona.
38“Yodala mfumu imene ikubwera mʼdzina la Ambuye!”
“Mtendere kumwamba ndi ulemerero mmwambamwamba!”
39Ena mwa Afarisi mʼgulumo anati kwa Yesu, “Aphunzitsi, adzudzuleni ophunzira anu!”
40Iye anayankha kuti, “Ine ndikukuwuzani kuti, ngati atakhala chete, miyala idzafuwula.”
41Iye atayandikira ku Yerusalemu ndi kuona mzindawo, anawulirira 42nati, “Iwe ukanadziwa lero lino zinthu zokubweretsera mtendere, koma tsopano zabisikira maso ako. 43Pakuti masiku adzabwera pamene adani ako adzamanga mitumbira yankhondo nakuzungulira, nadzakutsekereza mbali zonse. 44Iwo adzakugwetsera pansi, iwe, ana ako onse a mʼkati mwako. Iwo sadzasiya mwa iwe mwala wina pa unzake, chifukwa sunazindikire nthawi ya kubwera kwa Mulungu.”
Yesu mʼNyumba ya Mulungu
45Kenaka Iye analowa mʼdera la Nyumba ya Mulungu ndi kuyamba kutulutsa kunja amene amachita malonda. 46Iye anawawuza kuti, “Zinalembedwa kuti Nyumba yanga idzakhala nyumba ya mapemphero, koma inu mwayisadutsa phanga la achifwamba.”
47Tsiku lililonse amaphunzitsa mʼNyumba ya Mulungu. Koma akulu a ansembe, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi atsogoleri pakati pa anthu amayesetsa kuti amuphe. 48Komabe iwo sanathe kupeza njira ina iliyonse kuti achite izi, chifukwa anthu onse anakhulupirira mawu ake.
