Luke 21

red bookmark icon blue bookmark icon gold bookmark icon

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 cHe entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And dhe was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into ea sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for fI must stay at your house today. So he hurried and came down and greceived him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all hgrumbled, He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods iI give to the poor. And if I have jdefrauded anyone of anything, I restore it kfourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, since lhe also is a son of Abraham. 10 For mthe Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because nthey supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, oA nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling pten of his servants,1 he gave them ten minas,2 and said to them, Engage in business quntil I come. 14 But rhis citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, We do not want this man to reign over us. 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, Lord, your mina has made ten minas more. 17 And he said to him, Well done, good servant!3 Because you have been sfaithful in a very little, tyou shall have authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, your mina has made five minas. 19 And he said to him, And you are to be over five cities. 20 Then another came, saying, Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in ua handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are va severe man. You take wwhat you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow. 22 He said to him, xI will condemn you with your own words, yyou wicked servant! You knew that I was va severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest? 24 And he said to those who stood by, Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas. 25 And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas! 26 I tell you that zto everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But ras for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and aslaughter them before me.

The Triumphal Entry

28 And when he had said these things, bhe went on ahead, cgoing up to Jerusalem. 29 dWhen he drew near to Bethphage and eBethany, at fthe mount that is called Olivet, he sent gtwo of the disciples, 30 saying, Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, hon which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? you shall say this: The Lord has need of it. 32 So those who were sent went away and found it ijust as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord has need of it. 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they jspread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing nearalready on the way down the Mount of Oliveskthe whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice lfor all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, mBlessed is nthe King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and oglory in the highest! 39 pAnd some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. 40 He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, qthe very stones would cry out.

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 rAnd when he drew near and saw the city, she wept over it, 42 saying, tWould that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now uthey are hidden from your eyes. 43 For vthe days will come upon you, when your enemies wwill set up a barricade around you and xsurround you and hem you in on every side 44 yand tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And zthey will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know athe time of your bvisitation.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 cAnd he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, It is written, dMy house shall be a house of prayer, but eyou have made it a den of robbers.

47 fAnd he was teaching daily in the temple. gThe chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20 hOne day, ias Jesus1 was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, jthe chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, Tell us kby what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority. He answered them, I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John lfrom heaven or from man? And they discussed it with one another, saying, If we say, From heaven, he will say, mWhy did you not believe him? But if we say, From man, all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was na prophet. So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

oAnd he began to tell the people this parable: A man planted pa vineyard and qlet it out to tenants and rwent into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant2 to the tenants, so that qthey would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. sBut the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 tAnd she sent another servant. But they also beat and utreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 sAnd he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my vbeloved son; perhaps they will respect him. 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, wThis is the heir. xLet us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours. 15 And they ythrew him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 zHe will acome and destroy those tenants and bgive the vineyard to others. When they heard this, they said, Surely not! 17 But he clooked directly at them and said, What then is this that is written:

dThe stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone?3

18 eEveryone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls fon anyone, it will crush him.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19 hThe scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 iSo they jwatched him and sent spies, who kpretended to be sincere, that they might lcatch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of mthe governor. 21 So they asked him, Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and oshow no partiality,4 but truly teach pthe way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give qtribute to rCaesar, or not? 23 But he perceived their scraftiness, and said to them, 24 Show me ta denarius.5 Whose likeness and inscription does it have? They said, Caesar’s. 25 He said to them, Then urender to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people vto catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him wsome Sadducees, xthose who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us ythat if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man6 must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.

34 And Jesus said to them, zThe sons of this age amarry and aare given in marriage, 35 but those who are bconsidered worthy to attain to cthat age and to the resurrection from the dead dneither marry dnor are given in marriage, 36 for ethey cannot die anymore, because they are fequal to angels and gare hsons of God, being isons7 of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, jeven Moses showed, in kthe passage about the bush, where he calls lthe Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all mlive to him. 39 Then some of the scribes nanswered, Teacher, you have spoken well. 40 For othey no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 pBut he said to them, How can they say that qthe Christ is qDavid’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

rThe Lord said to my Lord,

Sit at my right hand,

43  until I make your enemies syour footstool.

44 David thus calls him Lord, so thow is he his son?

Beware of the Scribes

45 uAnd in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and vthe places of honor at feasts, 47 wwho devour widows’ houses and xfor a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.

The Widow’s Offering

21 yJesus1 looked up and saw the rich zputting their gifts into athe offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two bsmall copper coins.2 And he said, Truly, I tell you, cthis poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her dpoverty put in all eshe had to live on.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

fAnd while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, As for these things that you see, gthe days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. And they asked him, Teacher, hwhen will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? And he said, iSee that you are not led astray. For jmany will come in my name, saying, kI am he! and, lThe time is at hand! Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be mterrified, for these things nmust first take place, but the end will not be at once.

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, oNation will rise against nation, and pkingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great qearthquakes, and in various places rfamines and pestilences. And there will be sterrors and great tsigns from heaven. 12 But before all this uthey will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to vthe synagogues and wprisons, and you xwill be brought before ykings and zgovernors for my name’s sake. 13 aThis will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds bnot to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for cI will give you a mouth and dwisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or econtradict. 16 You will be delivered up feven by parents and brothers3 and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 gYou will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But hnot a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your iendurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 But jwhen you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that kits desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are ldays of mvengeance, to fulfill nall that is written. 23 oAlas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and pwrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and qbe led captive among all nations, and rJerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, suntil the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 And tthere will be signs in sun and moon uand stars, and on the earth vdistress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For wthe powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see xthe Son of Man coming in a cloud ywith power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and zraise your heads, because ayour redemption is drawing near.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see bfor yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 cTruly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 dHeaven and earth will pass away, but emy words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 But watch yourselves flest gyour hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and hcares of this life, and ithat day come upon you suddenly jlike a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But kstay awake at all times, lpraying that you may mhave strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and nto stand before the Son of Man.

37 And oevery day he was teaching in the temple, but pat night he went out and lodged on qthe mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning oall the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 rNow the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called sthe Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes twere seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

uThen vSatan entered into wJudas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and xofficers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to ybetray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

zThen came athe day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus1 sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it. They said to him, Where will you have us prepare it? 10 He said to them, Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, bThe Teacher says to you, Where is cthe guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? 12 And he will show you da large upper room furnished; prepare it there. 13 And they went and found it ejust as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 fAnd when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it2 guntil it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took a cup, and hwhen he had given thanks he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 iFor I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine guntil the kingdom of God comes. 19 jAnd he took bread, and hwhen he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, kThis is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, kThis cup that is poured out for you is lthe new mcovenant in my blood.3 21 nBut behold, the hand of him who betrays me is owith me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes pas it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 qA dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 rAnd he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles sexercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 tBut not so with you. Rather, let sthe greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, uone who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But vI am among you as the one who serves.

28 You are those who have stayed with me win my trials, 29 and xI assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 ythat you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and zsit on thrones judging athe twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 Simon, Simon, behold, bSatan demanded to have you,4 cthat he might sift you like wheat, 32 but dI have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, estrengthen your brothers. 33 Peter5 said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you both fto prison and gto death. 34 hJesus6 said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, iWhen I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything? They said, Nothing. 36 He said to them, But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that jthis Scripture must be fulfilled in me: kAnd he was numbered with the transgressors. For lwhat is written about me has its fulfillment. 38 And they said, Look, Lord, here are two mswords. And he said to them, nIt is enough.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 oAnd he came out and went, pas was his custom, to qthe Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 rAnd when he came to sthe place, he said to them, tPray that you may not uenter into temptation. 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and vknelt down and prayed, 42 saying, wFather, if you are willing, remove xthis cup from me. yNevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. 43 And there appeared to him zan angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And wbeing in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.7 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, Why are you sleeping? Rise and apray that you may not enter into temptation.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 bWhile he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called cJudas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, Lord, shall we strike dwith the sword? 50 And one of them struck the servant8 of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, No more of this! And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and eofficers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When fI was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is gyour hour, and hthe power of darkness.

Peter Denies Jesus

54 iThen they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, jand Peter was following at a distance. 55 kAnd when they had kindled a fire in the middle of lthe courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, This man also was with him. 57 But he denied it, saying, Woman, I do not know him. 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, You also are one of them. But Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another minsisted, saying, Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean. 60 But Peter said, Man, I do not know what you are talking about. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and nlooked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, oBefore the rooster crows today, you will pdeny me three times. 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 qNow the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 qThey also blindfolded him and kept asking him, rProphesy! rWho is it that struck you? 65 And they said many other things against him, sblaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66 tWhen day came, uthe assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their vcouncil, and they wsaid, 67 xIf you are ythe Christ, tell us. But he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated zat the right hand of the power of God. 70 So they all said, Are you athe Son of God, then? And he said to them, bYou say that I am. 71 Then they said, What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.

Jesus Before Pilate

23 cThen the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man dmisleading our nation and eforbidding us to give tribute to fCaesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, ga king. hAnd Pilate asked him, iAre you the King of the Jews? And he answered him, jYou have said so. Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, kI find no guilt in this man. But they were urgent, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, lfrom Galilee even to this place.

Jesus Before Herod

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to mHerod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, nfor he had long desired to see him, obecause he had heard about him, and he was hoping pto see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers qtreated him with contempt and rmocked him. Then, sarraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And tHerod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and uthe rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, You brought me this man vas one who was misleading the people. And wafter examining him before you, behold, I xdid not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for yhe sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 zI will therefore punish and release him.1

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 aBut they all cried out together, bAway with this man, and release to us Barabbas 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and cfor murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, Crucify, crucify him! 22 A third time he said to them, Why? dWhat evil has he done? eI have found in him no guilt deserving death. fI will therefore punish and release him. 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison gfor insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, hbut he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

26 iAnd as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were jmourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, kthe days are coming when they will say, lBlessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! 30 mThen they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For nif they do these things when othe wood is green, what will happen owhen it is dry?

32 pTwo others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 qAnd when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, pone on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, Father, rforgive them, sfor they know not what they do.2 And they cast lots tto divide his garments. 35 And uthe people stood by, watching, vbut wthe rulers xscoffed at him, saying, yHe saved others; zlet him save himself, aif he is bthe Christ of God, chis Chosen One! 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and doffering him sour wine 37 and saying, eIf you are fthe King of the Jews, save yourself! 38 gThere was also an inscription over him,3 This is fthe King of the Jews.

39 hOne of the criminals who were hanged irailed at him,4 saying, Are you not jthe Christ? Save yourself and us! 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me kwhen you come into your kingdom. 43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in lparadise.

The Death of Jesus

44 mIt was now about the sixth hour,5 and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,6 45 while the sun’s light failed. And nthe curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, ocalling out with a loud voice, said, Father, pinto your hands I qcommit my spirit! And having said this rhe breathed his last. 47 Now swhen the centurion saw what had taken place, the praised God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent! 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home ubeating their breasts. 49 And all vhis acquaintances and wthe women who had followed him from Galilee xstood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50 yNow there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he zwas looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and alaid him in a tomb cut in stone, bwhere no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of cPreparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.7 55 dThe women ewho had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and fprepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested gaccording to the commandment.