Luke 18:1-17

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray^(A) always and not become discouraged:^{(B) 2} “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God^(C) or respect man. ³ And a widow^(D) in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps^(E) pestering me,^[a] I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out^[b] by her persistent coming.’”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ Will not God grant justice^(F) to His elect^(G) who cry out to Him day and night?^(H) Will He delay^(I) to help them?^{[c] 8} I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,^(J) will He find that faith^[d] on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ He^(K) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves^(L) that they were righteous^(M) and looked down^(N) on everyone else: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple complex to pray,^(O) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee took his stand^[e](P) and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people^[f] —greedy,^(Q) unrighteous,^(R) adulterers,^(S) or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast^(T) twice a week; I give a tenth^[g](U) of everything I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector, standing far off,^(V) would not even raise his eyes to heaven^(W) but kept striking his chest^[h](X) and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me^[i](Y)—a sinner!’^{(Z) 14} I tell you, this one went down to his house justified^(AA) rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”^(AB)

Blessing the Children

¹⁵ Some^(AC) people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me,^(AD) and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ I assure you:^(AE) Whoever does not welcome^(AF) the kingdom of God like a little child^(AG) will never enter it.”