The Little Children and Jesus^(A)

¹⁵ People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child^(B) will never enter it.”

The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(C)

¹⁸ A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^(D)

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’^[a]”^(E)

²¹ “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor,^(F) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(G) Then come, follow me.”

²³ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. ²⁴ Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!^{(H) 25} Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”^(I)

²⁸ Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”^(J)

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰ will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come^(K) eternal life.”^(L)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time^(M)

³¹ Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem,^(N) and everything that is written by the prophets^(O) about the Son of Man^(P) will be fulfilled. ³² He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.^(Q) They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; ³³ they will flog him^(R) and kill him.^(S) On the third day^(T) he will rise again.”^(U)

³⁴ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.^(V)

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight^(W)

³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho,^(X) a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”^(Y)

³⁸ He called out, “Jesus, Son of David,^(Z) have mercy^(AA) on me!”

³⁹ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”^(AB)

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”^{(AC) 43} Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.^(AD)

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho^(AE) and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig^(AF) tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.^(AG)

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”^(AH)

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,^(AI) “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything,^(AJ) I will pay back four times the amount.”^(AK)

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.^{(AL) 10} For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”^(AM)

The Parable of the Ten Minas^(AN)

¹¹ While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God^(AO) was going to appear at once.^{(AP) 12} He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. ¹³ So he called ten of his servants^(AQ) and gave them ten minas.^[b] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

¹⁴ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

¹⁶ “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

¹⁷ “‘Well done, my good servant!’^(AR) his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’^(AS)

¹⁸ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

¹⁹ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

²⁰ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’^(AT)

²² “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words,^(AU) you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?^{(AV) 23} Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

²⁴ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’