Luke 18:1-8

Expanded Bible

God Will Answer His People

18 Then Jesus used this ·story [parable] to ·teach his followers [show the necessity] that they should always pray and never ·lose hope [become discouraged]. ² “In a certain town there was a judge who did not ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people thought]. ³ In that same town there was a widow [^Camong the most vulnerable members of society] who kept coming to this judge, saying, ‘Give me ·my rights [justice] against my ·enemy [opponent; adversary].’ ⁴ For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people think], ⁵ yet because she ·keeps bothering me [is causing me such trouble], I will see that she gets ·her rights [justice]. Otherwise she will ·keep coming until she wears me out [or eventually come and punch me/blacken my eye].’”

⁶ The Lord said, “Listen to what the ·unfair [unjust; unrighteous] judge said. ⁷ God will always [^LWill not God…?] ·give what is right [provide justice] to his ·people [^Lchosen people; elect] who cry to him day and night, and ·he will not [^Lwill he…?] ·be slow to answer them [or keep putting them off]. ⁸ I tell you, God will ·help [provide justice to] his people ·quickly [or suddenly]. ·But [However; Yet] when the Son of Man comes again, will he find ·those on earth who believe in him [^Lfaith on the earth; ^CGod’s faithfulness is certain; the only question is whether people will remain faithful to him]?”