1 As Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it,

2 a man named Zacchaeus appeared. He was a leading tax collector, and a rich one at that!

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't do so because of the crowd. (He was short in height.)

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said,"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today."

6 Zacchaeus came down quickly and was glad to welcome him into his home.

7 But all the people who saw this began to complain, saying, "He went to be the guest of a notorious sinner!"

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe if I have cheated anyone in any way."

9 Then Jesus said to him,"Today salvation has come to this home, because he, too, is a descendant of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."