'Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu) at the house of Zakkai
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'Īsā entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man named Zakkai was there. He was a chief tax-collector and he was rich. 3 He wanted to see who 'Īsā was, but was not able to due to the crowd, and because he was a short man. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore fig tree in order to see 'Īsā, who was about to pass that way. 5 When 'Īsā came to that place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Hurry and come down, Zakkai. I must stay at your house today.’6 Zakkai hurried down and welcomed 'Īsā joyfully. 7 Everyone who saw this began to complain, ‘He's gone to be the guest of a sinner!’
8 But Zakkai stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Master! I'm going to give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I've cheated anyone out of anything, I'm going to give back four times as much.’
9 'Īsā said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too, is a son of Ibrāhīm.a 10 For the Son of Manb came to seek and to save the lost.’
The parable of the king, the servants and the money
11 While the people were listening to this, 'Īsā went on to tell a parable, because he was close to Jerusalem, and they were thinking that the kingdom of Allahc was about to appear at once. 12 So he said, ‘There was a man of noble birth who was about to go to a distant country to have himself made king and then return. 13 He called his ten servants and gave them each one mina,d and said to them, “Trade with this money, because I am coming back.”
14 ‘But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We do not want this man to rule over us.”
15 ‘He was appointed king and returned to his own land. He then sent for the servants to whom he'd given the money, to find out how they had got on with their trading.
16 The first servant arrived and said, “Master, your mina has earned ten more minas.”
17 ‘“Well done, you excellent servant!” the master replied, “Since you've been trustworthy with a very small amount, you can take charge of ten cities.”
18 ‘The second servant came and said, “Master, your mina has made five more minas.”
19 ‘“And you can take charge of five cities,” his master told him.
20 ‘Then another servant came and said, “Master, here's your mina. I wrapped it in a cloth and stored it away. 21 I was afraid of you, because you're a hard man. You pick up what you didn't put down, and you reap what you didn't sow.”
22 ‘His master replied, “You useless servant! I will condemn you with your own words! You knew, did you, that I'm a hard man, picking up what I didn't put down and reaping what I didn't sow? 23 Why didn't you put my money in the bank? Then when I came I could have got it back with interest.”e
24 Then the master said to the servants standing by, “Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.”
25 ‘"But Master,” they said, “he's got ten minas.”
26 ‘“I tell you, everyone who has will be given more, but anyone who does not have, even what they do have will be taken away. 27 But as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to rule over them; bring them here and slay them in my presence.”’
Al-Masīh 'Īsā (hpbuu) rides into Jerusalem as King
28 When 'Īsā had finished speaking, he went on ahead, making his way up to Jerusalem. 29 As he drew near Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent ahead two of the disciples, 30 saying to them, ‘Go into the village over there. As you enter it, you'll find a colt tied up, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and lead it here. 31 If someone asks you why you're untying it, tell them, “The Lord needs it.”’
32 The disciples who were sent left and found everything just as 'Īsā had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’
34 The disciples replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’
35 They led the colt to 'Īsā, put their cloaks on it and then seated 'Īsā on it.f 36 As he rode along, people were spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 By this time he was close to where the road descends from the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of his disciples started to praise Allah joyfully and in loud voices for all the powerful miracles they had seen. 38 They shouted,
‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!g
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’
39 Some of the Pharisees who were in the crowd said to 'Īsā, ‘Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying these things.’
40 ‘I tell you,’ he answered, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones would shout out.’
Al-Masīh 'Īsā (hpbuu) weeps over Jerusalem
41 As 'Īsā approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it. 42 He said, ‘If only you, even you, had recognised on this day what would bring you peace. But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you. They will surround you and close in on you from every side. 44 Then they will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not recognise the time when you were visited.’h
Al-Masīh 'Īsā (hpbuu) clears al-Bayt ul-Muqaddas of those who were trading there
45 'Īsā entered al-Bayt ul-Muqaddas and began to drive out those who were selling things there.i 46 He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house will be a house of prayer”j, but you've made it “a den of robbers.”k'