New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Luke 19
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.
Reference
References Jesus
Luke 23:8
4
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore?fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
Reference
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."
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 3:20
Hebrews 13:2
Ephesians 3:17
Luke 19:10
Ezekiel 16:6
Ecclesiastes 9:10
References Jesus
John 14:23
John 1:48
7
All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
Reference
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."
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Samuel 12:6
Numbers 5:7
Proverbs 6:31
Luke 12:33
Luke 16:9
References Lord
1 Samuel 12:3
9
Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham's family line.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Peter 2:10
Luke 13:30
References Abraham
Galatians 3:7
Luke 13:16
Romans 4:16
Galatians 3:29
Luke 3:8
References Jesus
Galatians 3:14
Salvation
Luke 2:30
10
The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them."
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 34:16
Romans 5:6
Matthew 15:24
Luke 15:32
Matthew 10:6
Matthew 18:10
Salvation
Matthew 1:21
Hebrews 7:25
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.
Reference
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.
Reference
Kingdom
1 Corinthians 15:25
John 18:37
Parallel theme
Hebrews 9:28
Luke 20:9
1 Peter 3:22
Revelation 1:7
Acts 17:31
Mark 12:1
Mark 16:19
Matthew 21:38
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.
Reference
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.'
Reference
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.'
17
" 'You have done well, my good servant!' his master replied. 'You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.'
Reference
18
"The second servant 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 servant came. He said, 'Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth.
Reference
References Lord
Matthew 25:24
21
I 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 servant! 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?
Reference
23
Then 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 he has will be taken away from him.
Reference
27
And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!' "
Reference
Kingdom
Luke 19:14
Matthew 22:7
Parallel theme
Hebrews 10:13
Psalm 2:9
Nahum 1:8
Luke 21:22
Nahum 1:2
Luke 20:16
Isaiah 66:6
28
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem.
Reference
References Jerusalem
Luke 9:51
29
He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them,
Reference
📍 Olivet
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.
31
Someone may ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' If so, say, 'The Lord needs it.' "
Reference
References Lord
Psalm 24:1
32
Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them.
33
They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34
They replied, "The Lord needs it."
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 9:9
35
Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it.
Reference
36
As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Kings 9:13
37
Jesus 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,
Reference
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!"
Reference
Blessing
Luke 13:35
Matthew 21:9
Glory
Ephesians 1:12
Ephesians 1:6
Kingdom
Zechariah 9:9
1 Timothy 1:17
Matthew 25:34
Parallel theme
1 Peter 1:12
Peace
Romans 5:1
Colossians 1:20
39
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "tell your disciples to stop!"
Reference
42
He said, "I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 32:29
Hebrews 3:15
Isaiah 55:6
Hebrews 3:13
Luke 19:44
Isaiah 44:18
Acts 13:46
Ezekiel 33:11
Peace
Isaiah 48:18
Acts 10:36
43
"The 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.
Reference
44
You 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."
Reference
45
Then Jesus entered the temple area. He began chasing out those who were selling there.
46
He 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)
Reference
47
Every 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.
Reference
48
But they couldn't find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 8:3
Chapter Summary
Luke 19 brings together repentance, salvation, stewardship, kingship, the triumphal entry, Jesus' grief over Jerusalem, and His cleansing of the Temple, creating one of the most important transitional chapters between Jesus' journey and His final confrontation in Jerusalem.
The chapter begins in Jericho, where Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who desperately wants to see Him.
Because Zacchaeus is short and the crowd blocks his view, he climbs a sycamore tree, and Jesus unexpectedly stops, calls him down, and announces that He intends to stay at his house.
Although the crowd complains that Jesus is associating with a sinner, Zacchaeus responds with genuine repentance by promising to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times what he has taken dishonestly.
Jesus then declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus' house, emphasizing that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
Zacchaeus therefore becomes a powerful example of the difference between merely receiving Jesus' attention and allowing an encounter with Jesus to produce visible transformation, generosity, restitution, and a new relationship with wealth.
Jesus then tells the parable of the nobleman and the ten minas because the people expect God's kingdom to appear immediately.
In the parable, a nobleman travels to a distant country to receive royal authority and gives his servants money to use while he is away.
Some servants use what they receive productively and are rewarded with greater responsibility, while another servant hides his mina because he is afraid of his master and therefore produces nothing.
The parable teaches that God's people are expected to use faithfully whatever has been entrusted to them, rather than allowing fear, passivity, or excuses to prevent them from serving.
The nobleman's eventual return introduces the principle of accountability: present opportunities will eventually be evaluated, and faithfulness in small responsibilities can lead to much greater responsibility.
After the parable, Jesus continues toward Jerusalem and approaches Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, where He sends two disciples to obtain a young donkey.
The disciples place their cloaks on the animal, and Jesus rides toward Jerusalem while the crowd spreads cloaks along the road and praises God.
The crowd announces blessing upon the King who comes in the name of the Lord, openly identifying Jesus with royal and messianic expectations.
The Pharisees object to the disciples' public praise, but Jesus responds that if the disciples became silent, the stones themselves would cry out.
The scene is therefore both celebratory and deeply ironic: Jesus enters Jerusalem like a king, but the city will soon reject Him and He will be crucified.
As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, however, the mood changes dramatically.
Instead of celebrating, Jesus weeps over the city.
He knows that Jerusalem does not recognize the opportunity God has given it and predicts that enemies will surround the city, destroy it, and kill its inhabitants.
This prophecy has an important historical connection with the First Jewish-Roman War of AD 66–70, when Roman armies under Titus besieged and destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70.
Jesus' tears show that His prediction is not motivated by hatred or revenge; He grieves because the city does not recognize the way of peace and the significance of God's visitation.
The chapter concludes with Jesus entering the Temple and driving out those who are conducting commercial activity there.
He declares that God's house should be a house of prayer but has been turned into a den of robbers.
Jesus then continues teaching daily in the Temple while the chief priests, scribes, and other leaders increasingly seek a way to destroy Him.
The people, however, listen closely to Him, temporarily preventing the authorities from acting openly.
Historically, these events belong to approximately AD 28–30, during the final stage of Jesus' earthly ministry, with His entry into Jerusalem occurring shortly before His crucifixion.
The Jerusalem Temple mentioned throughout the chapter was the Second Temple, which remained in operation until its destruction by the Romans in AD 70.
Luke 19 ultimately presents Jesus as the Savior who seeks the lost, the King who enters Jerusalem with humility, the Master who expects faithful stewardship, and the Lord who grieves over those who reject God's visitation, while preparing the reader for the final confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities that will lead to His crucifixion and resurrection.
The chapter begins in Jericho, where Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who desperately wants to see Him.
Because Zacchaeus is short and the crowd blocks his view, he climbs a sycamore tree, and Jesus unexpectedly stops, calls him down, and announces that He intends to stay at his house.
Although the crowd complains that Jesus is associating with a sinner, Zacchaeus responds with genuine repentance by promising to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times what he has taken dishonestly.
Jesus then declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus' house, emphasizing that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
Zacchaeus therefore becomes a powerful example of the difference between merely receiving Jesus' attention and allowing an encounter with Jesus to produce visible transformation, generosity, restitution, and a new relationship with wealth.
Jesus then tells the parable of the nobleman and the ten minas because the people expect God's kingdom to appear immediately.
In the parable, a nobleman travels to a distant country to receive royal authority and gives his servants money to use while he is away.
Some servants use what they receive productively and are rewarded with greater responsibility, while another servant hides his mina because he is afraid of his master and therefore produces nothing.
The parable teaches that God's people are expected to use faithfully whatever has been entrusted to them, rather than allowing fear, passivity, or excuses to prevent them from serving.
The nobleman's eventual return introduces the principle of accountability: present opportunities will eventually be evaluated, and faithfulness in small responsibilities can lead to much greater responsibility.
After the parable, Jesus continues toward Jerusalem and approaches Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, where He sends two disciples to obtain a young donkey.
The disciples place their cloaks on the animal, and Jesus rides toward Jerusalem while the crowd spreads cloaks along the road and praises God.
The crowd announces blessing upon the King who comes in the name of the Lord, openly identifying Jesus with royal and messianic expectations.
The Pharisees object to the disciples' public praise, but Jesus responds that if the disciples became silent, the stones themselves would cry out.
The scene is therefore both celebratory and deeply ironic: Jesus enters Jerusalem like a king, but the city will soon reject Him and He will be crucified.
As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, however, the mood changes dramatically.
Instead of celebrating, Jesus weeps over the city.
He knows that Jerusalem does not recognize the opportunity God has given it and predicts that enemies will surround the city, destroy it, and kill its inhabitants.
This prophecy has an important historical connection with the First Jewish-Roman War of AD 66–70, when Roman armies under Titus besieged and destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70.
Jesus' tears show that His prediction is not motivated by hatred or revenge; He grieves because the city does not recognize the way of peace and the significance of God's visitation.
The chapter concludes with Jesus entering the Temple and driving out those who are conducting commercial activity there.
He declares that God's house should be a house of prayer but has been turned into a den of robbers.
Jesus then continues teaching daily in the Temple while the chief priests, scribes, and other leaders increasingly seek a way to destroy Him.
The people, however, listen closely to Him, temporarily preventing the authorities from acting openly.
Historically, these events belong to approximately AD 28–30, during the final stage of Jesus' earthly ministry, with His entry into Jerusalem occurring shortly before His crucifixion.
The Jerusalem Temple mentioned throughout the chapter was the Second Temple, which remained in operation until its destruction by the Romans in AD 70.
Luke 19 ultimately presents Jesus as the Savior who seeks the lost, the King who enters Jerusalem with humility, the Master who expects faithful stewardship, and the Lord who grieves over those who reject God's visitation, while preparing the reader for the final confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities that will lead to His crucifixion and resurrection.