Luke 18
18
Parable of the Persistent Widow
1One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2“There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
6Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man#18:8 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
9Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer#18:11 Some manuscripts read stood and prayed this prayer to himself.: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
15One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
16Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
The Rich Man
18Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 20But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’#18:20 Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.”
21The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
22When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24When Jesus saw this,#18:24 Some manuscripts read When Jesus saw how sad the man was. he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
26Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”
27He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
28Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, 30will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
31Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. 32He will be handed over to the Romans,#18:32 Greek the Gentiles. and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”
34But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37They told him that Jesus the Nazarene#18:37 Or Jesus of Nazareth. was going by. 38So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39“Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
42And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
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Luke 18
18
The Parable of the Widow and the Judge
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged. 2“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, ‘Help me against my opponent!’ 4For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or respect people, 5yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!’ ”
6And the Lord continued, “Listen to what that corrupt judge said. 7Now, will God not judge in favour of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them? 8I tell you, he will judge in their favour and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else. 10“Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.
11 “The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, # 18.11 stood apart by himself and prayed ; some manuscripts have stood up and prayed to himself. ‘I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12I fast two days a week, and I give you a tenth of all my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, ‘God, have pity on me, a sinner!’ 14#Mt 23.12; Lk 14.11I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For all who make themselves great will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be made great.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
(Mt 19.13–15; Mk 10.13–16)
15Some people brought their babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. The disciples saw them and scolded them for doing so, 16but Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
The Rich Man
(Mt 19.16–30; Mk 10.17–31)
18A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20#Ex 20.12–16; Deut 5.16–20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.’ ”
21The man replied, “Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments.”
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” 23But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.
24Jesus saw that he was sad and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God! 25It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”
26The people who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”
27Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”
28Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”
29 “Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time about his Death
(Mt 20.17–19; Mk 10.32–34)
31Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. 32He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will mock him, insult him, and spit on him. 33They will whip him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life.”
34But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
(Mt 20.29–34; Mk 10.46–52)
35As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. 36When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, “What is this?”
37“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.
38He cried out, “Jesus! Son of David! Take pity on me!”
39The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Take pity on me!”
40So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.”
42Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.”
43At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.