Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
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."