A rich tax collector
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through town.
2
A man there named Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors, was rich.
3
He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a short man, he couldn't because of the crowd.
4
So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
5
When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up and said, "
Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay in your home today."
6
So Zacchaeus came down at once, happy to welcome Jesus.
7
Everyone who saw this grumbled, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."
8
Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much."
9
Jesus said to him, "
Today, salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham.
10
The Human One came to seek and save the lost."