Luke 19:9-20

⁹“Salvation has come to this house today,” answered Jesus, “for even this man is a son of Abraham.

¹⁰The Son of Man has come to search for those who are lost and to save them.”

¹¹As the people were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He did so because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to be proclaimed at once.

¹²He said, “A nobleman once went to a distant country to receive his appointment to a kingdom and then return.

¹³He called ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds of silver each, and told them to trade with them during his absence.

¹⁴But his subjects hated him and sent envoys after him to say ‘We will not have this man as our king.’

¹⁵On his return, after having been appointed king, he directed that the servants to whom he had given his money should be summoned, so that he might learn what amount of trade they had done.

¹⁶The first came up, and said ‘Sir, your ten pounds have made a hundred.’

¹⁷‘Well done, good servant!’ exclaimed the master. ‘As you have proved trustworthy in a very small matter, I appoint you governor over ten towns.’

¹⁸When the second came, he said ‘Your ten pounds, Sir, have produced fifty.’

¹⁹So the master said to him ‘And you I appoint over five towns.’

²⁰Another servant also came and said ‘Sir, here are your ten pounds; I have kept them put away in a handkerchief.