1. Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2. A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.
3. Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd.
4. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5. Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today."
6. So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7. All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8. But 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."
9. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham's family line.
10. The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them."
11. While 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.
12. Jesus said, "A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home.
13. So he sent for ten of his servants. 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 servants 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.'