Luke 18
Worldwide English (New Testament)
18 Jesus told them a story to teach them that they should keep on talking with God and not give up.
2 He said, `There was a judge in a city. He did not respect God or care about people.
3 There was a woman in that city whose husband was dead. The woman came to the judge again and again. She said, "Save me from my enemy!"
4 For a long time he would not do it. But after a time he said, "I do not respect God or care about people.
5 But this woman is troubling me. So I will save her from her enemy. If I do not, she will keep coming until I am tired." '
6 The Lord said, `The judge was a bad man. And yet you should listen to what he says.
7 When the people whom God has chosen call to him day and night, he will save them from their enemies. He may let them wait a time.
8 But I tell you, he will save them from their enemies soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any people who believe in him?'
9 There were some people who thought they were very good. And they thought that other people were not good. Jesus told this story to them.
10 He said, `Two men went to the temple to talk with God. One was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector.
11 `The Pharisee stood and said to himself, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men. They steal, cheat, and commit adultery. I thank you that I am not like this tax collector.
12 Two times in the week I do not eat - I fast. I give away one tenth part of all I get."
13 `The tax collector stood far away. He did not even look up towards heaven. But he beat his chest, and said, "God, I am a bad man. Help me!"
14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God. The other one was not. Everyone who puts himself up in a high place will be brought down to a low place. And everyone who puts himself in a low place will be brought up to a high place.'
15 People brought even small children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on them. When the disciples saw it, they tried to stop the people.
16 But Jesus called them to him and said, `Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people like them.
17 I tell you the truth. If anyone does not believe in the kingdom of God like a child, he will never go in.'
18 A ruler asked Jesus, `Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will live for ever?'
19 Jesus answered him, `Why do you call me good? Only one is good, and that is God.
20 `You know the laws, "Do not commit adultery. [Do not take a man or woman who is not your husband or wife.] Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Respect your father and your mother." '
21 The man said, `I have kept all these laws since I was a boy.'
22 When Jesus heard that, he said to him, `You need one thing more. Sell everything you have. Give the money to poor people. You will be rich in heaven. Then come and go with me.'
23 When the man heard that, he was sad because he was very rich.
24 Jesus looked at him and said, `It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a big animal like a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'
26 Those who heard it asked, `Then who can be saved?'
27 But Jesus said, `God can do what men cannot do.'
28 Peter said, `See, we have left all things and have come with you.'
30 Jesus said to them, `I tell you the truth. If any man has left his house, or his wife, or his brothers, or his father, or his mother, or his children for the sake of the kingdom of God, he will receive many times as much as he has left. He will receive that in this world. And in the next world he will live for ever.'
31 Jesus took the twelve disciples with him. He said to them, `We are going to Jerusalem. The prophets of God long ago wrote about the Son of Man. Everything they wrote will be done to him.
32 He will be given over to rulers who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will treat him very badly. They will spit on him.
33 They will beat him and kill him. On the third day he will rise.'
34 But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them and they did not understand what he said.
35 When he came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road. He was begging for money.
36 He heard many people passing by. He asked, `Why are so many people passing here?'
37 They told him, `Jesus of Nazareth is passing this way.'
38 Then he shouted, `Jesus, son of David! Help me!'
39 The people in front said, `Be quiet!' But he shouted louder and said, `Son of David! Help me!'
40 Jesus stopped and said, `Bring him here.' When the man came close, Jesus asked him, `What do you want me to do for you?'
41 The man said, `Sir, I want to see.'
42 Jesus said, `You can see now. You are healed because you believed.'
43 Right then he was able to see. He went with Jesus and he praised God. All the people saw it and they all praised God too.
Luke 18
New King James Version
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men (A)always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor [a]regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, [b]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 (B)yet because this widow troubles me I will [c]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And (C)shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you (D)that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some (E)who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee (F)stood and prayed thus with himself, (G)‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; (H)for everyone who exalts himself will be [d]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children(I)
15 (J)Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for (K)of such is the kingdom of God. 17 (L)Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler(M)
18 (N)Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but (O)One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: (P)‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ (Q)‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
21 And he said, “All (R)these things I have kept from my youth.”
22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. (S)Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
With God All Things Are Possible(T)
24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, (U)“How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27 But He said, (V)“The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
28 (W)Then Peter said, “See, we have left [e]all and followed You.”
29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, (X)there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 (Y)who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection(Z)
31 (AA)Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things (AB)that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be [f]accomplished. 32 For (AC)He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
34 (AD)But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
A Blind Man Receives His Sight(AE)
35 (AF)Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, (AG)Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; (AH)your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, (AI)glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Footnotes
- Luke 18:2 respect
- Luke 18:3 Avenge me on
- Luke 18:5 vindicate
- Luke 18:14 put down
- Luke 18:28 NU our own
- Luke 18:31 fulfilled
Luke 18
Lexham English Bible
The Parable of the Unjust Judge
18 And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, 2 saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. 3 And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ 4 And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her[a] coming back!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! 7 And will not God surely see to it that justice is done[b] to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? 8 I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done[c] for them soon! Nevertheless, when[d] the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 And he also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on everyone else:[e] 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and[f] prayed these things with reference to himself: ‘God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people—swindlers, unrighteous people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Little Children Brought to Jesus
15 Now they were bringing even their[g] babies to him so that he could touch them. But when[h] the disciples saw it,[i] they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for to such belongs[j] the kingdom of God. 17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it.”
A Rich Young Man
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, by[k] doing what will I inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”[l] 21 And he said, “All these I have observed from my[m] youth.” 22 And when he[n] heard this,[o] Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing:[p] Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds[q] to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” 23 But when he[r] heard these things he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
24 And Jesus took notice of him[s] and[t] said, “How difficult it is for[u] those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 So those who heard this[v] said, “And who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
28 And Peter said, “Behold, we have left all that is ours[w] and[x] followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly I say to you that there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children on account of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
31 And taking aside the twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written by the prophets with reference to the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and mistreated and spit on, 33 and after[y] flogging him[z] they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 And they understood none of these things, and this saying was concealed from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
A Blind Man Healed at Jericho
35 Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging. 36 And when he[aa] heard a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 And they told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, that he should be silent, but he cried out even more loudly,[ab] “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 So Jesus stopped and[ac] ordered him to be brought to him. And when[ad] he approached, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may regain my sight. 42 And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight! Your faith has saved you.” 43 And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow[ae] him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they[af] saw it,[ag] gave praise to God.
Footnotes
- Luke 18:5 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“coming back”) which is understood as means
- Luke 18:7 Literally “carry out the giving of justice”
- Luke 18:8 Literally “he will carry out the giving of justice”
- Luke 18:8 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“comes”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:9 Literally “the rest”
- Luke 18:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stood”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Luke 18:15 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Luke 18:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:15 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Luke 18:16 Literally “for of such is”
- Luke 18:18 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“doing”) which is understood as means
- Luke 18:20 A quotation from Exod 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20
- Luke 18:21 Some manuscripts omit “my”
- Luke 18:22 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:22 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Luke 18:22 Literally “one still lacking to you”
- Luke 18:22 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Luke 18:23 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:24 Some manuscripts add “becoming very sad”
- Luke 18:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took notice of”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Luke 18:24 Literally “with difficulty”
- Luke 18:26 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Luke 18:28 Literally “our own”
- Luke 18:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“have left”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Luke 18:33 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“flogging”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:33 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Luke 18:36 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:39 Literally “by much more”
- Luke 18:40 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stopped”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Luke 18:40 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“approached”)
- Luke 18:43 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to follow”)
- Luke 18:43 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 18:43 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
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