Luke · Chapter 19

[ edit] And Jheſu goynge yn, walkide þorw Jerico. And lo! a man, Zachee by name, and he was prince of pupplicans, and he was riche. And he ſouȝte to ſee Jheſu, who he was, and he myȝte not, for þe cumpany, for he was litel in ſtature. And he rennynge bifore, ſtiȝede in to a ſycamoure tree, þat he ſchulde ſee Jheſu; for he was to paſſinge þennis. And Jheſu biholdinge vpward, whanne he cam to þe place, ſyȝ him, and ſeyde to him, Zachee, haſtinge cum doun, for to day I moot dwelle in þin hous. And he haſtinge cam doun, and ioyinge reſeyuede him. And whanne alle men ſayen, þei grucchiden, ſeyinge, For he hadde turned to a ſynful man. Forſoþ Zachee ſtondinge ſeide to þe Lord, Lo!

Lord, I ȝyue þe half of my goodis to pore men; and if I haue ony þing defraudid ony man, I ȝelde þe fourefold. Jheſu ſeide to him, For in þis day heelþe is maad to þis hous, for and he is þe ſone of Abraham; forſoþe mannis ſone cam to ſeke, and make ſaaf þis þing þat periſchede. Hem heringe þes þingis, he puttinge to, ſeide a parable, for he was nyȝ Jeruſalem, and for þei geſſiden, þat þe kyngdom of God ſchulde be ſchewid a non. Þerfore he ſeide, Sum noble man wente in to a fer cuntree, to take to him a kyngdom, and to turne aȝeyn. Soþli his ten ſeruauntis clepid, he ȝaf to hem ten beſauntis. And he ſeide to hem, Marchaundiſe ȝe, til I come.

Forſoþ his citeſeyns hatiden him, and ſente a meſſager aftir him, ſeyinge, We nyle, þat he regne on vs. And it was don, þat þe rewme takun, he turnede aȝen; and he comaundide his ſeruauntis to be clepid, to whiche he ȝaf money, þat he ſchulde wite, hou moche ech hadde wunne by chaffaring. Forſoþ þe firſte cam, ſeyinge, Lord, þi beſaunt haþ wunne ten beſauntis. He ſeide to him, Wel be, þou goode ſeruaunt; for in litil þing þou haſt be trewe, þou ſchalt haue power on ten citees. And anoþer cam, ſeyinge, Lord, þi beſaunt haþ maad fyue beſauntis. And he ſeide to þis, And be þou on fyue citees. And þe þridde cam, ſeyinge, Lord, lo! þi beſaunt, which I hadde, kept in a ſudarie, eþer ſweting cloþ.

Forſoþ I dredde þee, for þou art an auſterne man; þou takiſt awey þis þing which þou ſettiſt not, and þou repiſt þis þing which þou haſt not ſowe. He ſeiþ to him, Weyward ſeruaunt, of þi mouþ I deme þee. Wiſtiſt þou, þat I am an hauſterne man, takinge a wey þis þing which I ſettide not, and repinge þis þing which I haue not ſowe? and whi haſt þou not ȝouun my money to þe boord, and I comynge ſchulde haue receyued it ſoþli wiþ vſuris? And he ſeide to hem þat ſtooden nyȝ, Take ȝe awey fro him þe beſaunt, and ȝyue ȝe to him þat haþ ten beſauntis. And þei ſeiden to him, Lord, he haþ ten beſauntis.

Soþli I ſeie to ȝou, for to ech hauynge it ſchal be ȝouun, and he ſchal be plenteuous; but fro him þat haþ not, alſo þis þing þat he haþ, ſchal be takun of him. Neþeles brynge ȝe hidir þo myne enemyes, þat nolde me to regne on hem, and ſle ȝe bifore me. And þes þingis ſeyd, he wente bifore, ſtiȝynge to Jeruſalem. And it was don, whanne he cam nyȝ to Beþfage and Betanye, at þe mount, which is clepid of Olyuete, he ſente his tweye diſciplis, ſeyinge, Go ȝe in to þe caſtel, which is aȝens ȝou; in to which ȝe entrynge ſchulen fynde a colt of a ſhe aſſe, on which non of men euere ſaat; vnbynde ȝe him, and brynge ȝe to me.

And if ony man ſchal axe, whi ȝe vnbynden, þus ȝe ſchulen ſeye to him, For þe Lord deſyriþ his work. Forſoþe þei þat weren ſent, wenten forþ, and founden as he ſeyde to hem, a colt ſtondinge. Soþli hem vntyynge þe colt, þe lordis of him ſeyde to hem, What vntyen ȝe þe colt? And þei ſeiden, For þe Lord haþ him nedful. And þei ledden him to Jheſu; and þei, caſtinge her cloþis on þe colt, puttedyn Jheſu on him. Forſoþe him goynge, þei vndir ſtrewiden her cloþis in þe weye.

And whanne now he cam nyȝ to þe comynge doun of þe hil of Olyuete, alle þe cumpanyes of men comynge doun bigunnen ioyinge to herie God wiþ greet vois on alle þe vertues, whiche þei ſyȝen, ſeyinge, Bleſſid is þe kyng, þat comeþ in þe name of þe Lord; pees in heuene, and glorie in hiȝ þingis. And ſumme of þe Phariſees of þe cumpanyes ſeyden to him, Maiſtir, blame þi diſciplis. To whiche he ſeide, I ſeye to ȝou, for if þes ſchulen be ſtille, ſtoones ſchulen crye. And whanne he neiȝede, he ſeynge þe citee, wepte on it ſeyinge, For if þou haddiſt knowe, and þou, and ſoþeli in þis þi day, which is to pees to þee; but now þei ben hid fro þin yȝen.

For daies ſchulen come into þee, and þin enemyes ſchulen enuyroune þee wiþ pale, and ſchulen enuyroune þee, and þei ſchulen make þee ſtreyt on alle ſydis; and þei ſchulen caſte þee doun to erþe, and þi ſones þat ben in þee; and þei ſchulen not leeue in þee a ſtoon on a ſtoon, for þou haſt not knowe þe tyme of þi viſitacioun. And he gon in to þe temple, bigan to caſte out men ſellinge þer ynne and biggynge, ſeyinge to hem, It is writun, For myn hous is an hous of preier, forſoþe ȝe han maad it a den of þeuys. And he was techinge euery day in þe temple.

Forſoþ þe princes of preſtis, and ſcribis, and þe princis of þe peple ſouȝten to leeſe him; and þei founden not what þei ſchulden do to him, for al þe peple was al ocupyed, heeringe him.