³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, ^(A)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

²⁹ And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors ^[a]justified God, ^(A)having been baptized with the baptism of John.

³⁷ And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ^(A)“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred ^(B)denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no ^(C)water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no ^(D)kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ^46 (E)You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ^47 (F)Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, ^(G)“Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ^(H)“Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, ^(I)“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

^9 (A)The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but ^(B)is longsuffering toward ^[a]us, ^(C)not willing that any should perish but ^(D)that all should come to repentance.

¹³ although ^(A)I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an ^[a]insolent man; but I obtained mercy because ^(B)I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ^14 (C)And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, ^(D)with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ^15 (E)This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that ^(F)Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶ However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.