Luke 19
The full text of Luke 19 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And there was a man called by the name Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able to because of the crowd, since he was short in stature.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore-fig tree to see him, because he was about to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
6 So he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
7 And when they saw this, everyone began to grumble, saying, "He has gone in to be the guest of a sinful man."
8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, half of my possessions I am giving to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I am paying back four times as much."
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
11 While they were listening to these things, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
12 So he said, "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then return.
13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Do business with these until I come back,' he said.
14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'
15 When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he sent for these servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained by doing business.
16 The first came and said, 'Master, your mina has earned ten more minas.'
17 He said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, take authority over ten cities.'
18 The second came and said, 'Master, your mina has made five minas.'
19 He said to this one also, 'You be over five cities.'
20 Then another came and said, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept stored away in a cloth.
21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You take out what you did not put in, and reap what you did not sow.'
22 He said to him, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I am a harsh man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, so that when I came I could have collected it with interest?'
24 Then he said to those standing by, 'Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25 They said to him, 'Master, he already has ten minas!'
26 He replied, 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
27 But these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them — bring them here and slaughter them in front of me.'"
28 After he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he came near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
30 saying, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say this: 'The Lord needs it.'"
32 Those who were sent went and found it just as he had told them.
33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34 They said, "The Lord needs it."
35 They brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 As he was now approaching the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
38 saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
40 He answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out."
41 As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it,
42 saying, "If you had known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side.
44 They will dash you to the ground — you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."
45 Then he entered the temple and began driving out those who were selling,
46 saying to them, "It is written: 'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers."
47 He was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were trying to kill him,
48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people hung on his every word.
Translation notes (22)
- Luke 19:2a The Greek word architelones means "chief tax collector." This word appears only once in the Bible and refers to the head of a tax-farming district.
- Luke 19:4a The Greek word sykomoreain refers to a sycamore-fig tree, which is a large tree with low branches, making it easy to climb.
- Luke 19:7a The Greek word para in the phrase para hamartōlō andri ("with a sinful man") indicates an intimate association, not just simple proximity.
- Luke 19:8a The Greek present tense verbs didōmi and apodidōmi can express either a new resolution or a description of an existing practice. The Greek text is ambiguous here.
- Luke 19:9a The Greek phrase pros auton could mean "to him" (referring to Zacchaeus) or "about him" (to the crowd). This ambiguity is preserved in the translation.
- Luke 19:12a This verse refers to a historical event well-known to Luke's original audience: Archelaus traveled to Rome in 4 BC to receive his kingship.
- Luke 19:13a A mina was equal to 100 drachmas, which was about three months' wages for a laborer. This amount is much less than the talents mentioned in Matthew's Gospel.
- Luke 19:20a The Greek word soudarion refers to a sweat-cloth or handkerchief, not a safe or vault, implying careless neglect.
- Luke 19:23a The Greek word trapeza literally means "table," referring to a money-changer's table, and by extension, a bank.
- Luke 19:25a This verse is absent from some Western manuscripts (D); however, most scholars retain it as original.
- Luke 19:27a This echoes the historical practice of Archelaus, who executed his opponents after receiving his kingdom. The violence in the parable is descriptive of real events, not a command for how one should act.
- Luke 19:30a Gk. pōlon, a young animal — in context of donkeys (not horses); cf. Zech 9:9 LXX.
- Luke 19:31a The Greek phrase ho kyrios could mean "the Lord" (a divine title) or "the master/owner." This ambiguity may be intentional.
- Luke 19:38a Quotes Ps 118:26 (LXX 117:26) with the addition of ho basileus (the king) — Luke makes the royal claim explicit.
- Luke 19:40a Possible echo of Hab 2:11 where stones cry out against injustice. Here: creation itself would testify.
- Luke 19:41a The Greek word eklausen means "he wept audibly," indicating a stronger expression of deep lamentation than dakryō (which means "to shed silent tears," as in John 11:35).
- Luke 19:42a The sentence breaks off abruptly, a rhetorical device called aposiopesis, leaving the "then what?" part unsaid. The suppression of this "then" clause, known as the apodosis, expresses overwhelming grief.
- Luke 19:43a The Greek word charaka refers to a pointed stake or palisade, part of the Roman siege technique of circumvallation (building a wall around a besieged city). This was fulfilled in 70 AD.
- Luke 19:44a The Greek word episkopē means "visitation," referring to a divine inspection or intervention, which could be for either salvation or judgment. This usage is consistent with the Septuagint.
- Luke 19:45a Luke's account of the temple cleansing is briefer than those in Mark and Matthew, as it does not mention buyers, money-changers, or dove-sellers.
- Luke 19:46a Combines Isa 56:7 (house of prayer) with Jer 7:11 (den of robbers/bandits)
- Luke 19:48a The Greek phrase exekremato autou akouōn literally means 'hung upon him listening,' which is a vivid image of rapt, suspended attention.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Greek and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including Luke, are free to read on this site.
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