²⁵ But she came and ^(A)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But ^(A)if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

³¹ The crowd ^(A)rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

³³ And ^(A)those in the boat ^(B)worshiped him, saying, ^(C)“Truly you are ^(D)the Son of God.”

^2 (A)And behold, a leper^[a] came to him and ^(B)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, ^(A)“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought ^(A)always to pray and not ^(B)lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who ^(C)neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ^(D)‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And ^(E)will not God give justice to ^(F)his elect, ^(G)who cry to him day and night? ^(H)(I)Will he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them ^(J)speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, ^(K)will he find faith on earth?”

²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out^[a] and said, “I believe; ^(A)help my unbelief!”