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?

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(A) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(B) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask^(C) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(A) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(B) in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith^(C) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.