¹⁴ Let me alone,^(A) so that I may destroy them and blot out^(B) their name from under heaven.^(C) And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”

²⁰ The Lord will never be willing to forgive^(A) them; his wrath and zeal^(B) will burn^(C) against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot^(D) out their names from under heaven.

¹⁰ Now leave me alone^(A) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy^(B) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”^(C)

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor^(D) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?^{(E) 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?^(F) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster^(G) on your people. ¹³ Remember^(H) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:^(I) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars^(J) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land^(K) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’”

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(A) Your hearts^(B) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.^{(A) 2} He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice^(B) against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”^(C)

⁶ And the Lord^(D) said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out^(E) to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man^(F) comes,^(G) will he find faith on the earth?”

⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity^[a] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.^(A)

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;^(B) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.