And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint,

saying, “There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man.

And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me on mine adversary.’

And for a while he would not, but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I fear not God nor regard man,

yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?

I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”

And He spoke this parable unto certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them; but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto Him and said, “Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”

And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said unto him, “Why callest thou Me good? None is good save One, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ‘Do not kill.’ ‘Do not steal.’ ‘Do not bear false witness.’ ‘Honor thy father and thy mother.’”

And he said, “All these have I kept from my youth up.”

Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.”

And when he heard this he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”

And He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Then Peter said, “Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.”

And He said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the Kingdom of God’s sake,

who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

Then He took unto Him the twelve and said unto them, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished.

For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spitefully treated and spit upon;

and they shall scourge Him and put Him to death, and the third day He shall rise again.”

And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hidden from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And it came to pass that as He was coming nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging.

And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

And he cried, saying, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried out all the more, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,

saying, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” And he said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

And Jesus said unto him, “Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee.”

And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint;

saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man:

and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them?

I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.

But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.

I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And they were bringing unto him also their babes, that he should touch them: but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother.

And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up.

And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich.

And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved?

But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

And Peter said, Lo, we have left our own, and followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life.

And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man.

For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon:

and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.

And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole.

And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,

saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man.

There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’

For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’”

Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says!

And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?

I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”

He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’

I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”

Now they were also bringing their babies to Him, so that He would touch and bless them, and when the disciples noticed it, they began reprimanding them.

But Jesus called them to Himself, saying [to the apostles], “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all.”

A certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially and morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially and morally] good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Honor your father and your mother.’”

He replied, “I have kept all these things from my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing; sell everything that you have and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Jesus looked at him and said, “How difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.”

And those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left all [things—homes, families, businesses] and followed You.”

And He said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times as much in this present age and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Then taking the twelve [disciples] aside, He said to them, “Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed.

He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on,

and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise [from the dead].”

But the disciples understood none of these things [about the approaching death and resurrection of Jesus]. This statement was hidden from them, and they did not grasp the [meaning of the] things that were said [by Jesus].

As He was approaching Jericho [on His way to Jerusalem], it happened that a blind man was sitting beside the road begging.

Now when he heard a crowd going by, he began to ask what this was [about].

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

So he shouted out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!”

Those who were leading the way were sternly telling him to keep quiet; but he screamed all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that the blind man be led to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me regain my sight!”

Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.”

Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus, glorifying and praising and honoring God. And all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).

He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man.

And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary.

And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man,

Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me.

Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says!

And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?

He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men:

Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers—or even like this tax collector here.

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain.

But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am!

I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Now they were also bringing [even] babies to Him that He might touch them, and when the disciples noticed it, they reproved them.

But Jesus called them [the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].

And a certain ruler asked Him, Good Teacher [You who are essentially and perfectly morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?

Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? No one is [essentially and perfectly morally] good—except God only.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not witness falsely, honor your father and your mother.

And he replied, All these I have kept from my youth.

And when Jesus heard it, He said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and divide [the money] among the poor, and you will have [rich] treasure in heaven; and come back [and] follow Me [become My disciple, join My party, and accompany Me].

But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful, for he was rich—exceedingly so.

Jesus, observing him, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle’s eye than [for] a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

And those who heard it said, Then who can be saved?

But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God.

And Peter said, See, we have left our own [things—home, family, and business] and have followed You.

And He said to them, I say to you truly, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

Who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life.

Then taking the Twelve [apostles] aside, He said to them, Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written about the Son of Man through and by the prophets will be fulfilled.

For He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be made sport of and scoffed and jeered at and insulted and spit upon.

They will flog Him and kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again.

But they understood nothing of these things; His words were a mystery and hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was telling them.

As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant.

They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

And he shouted, saying, Jesus, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!

But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep quiet; yet he screamed and shrieked so much the more, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!

Then Jesus stood still and ordered that he be led to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

What do you want Me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me receive my sight!

And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your faith in God) has healed you.

And instantly he received his sight and began to follow Jesus, recognizing, praising, and honoring God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.

“There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect people.

And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

“For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people,

yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’”

Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them?

I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

People were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

“I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed you.”

So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on;

and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”

They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening.

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.

So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”

“Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.”

Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.

‘There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect people.

And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.”

‘For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or respect people,

yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.” ’

Then the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them?

I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? ’

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people – greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.”

‘But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner! ”

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’

People were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Jesus, however, invited them: ‘Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’

A ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ’

‘Why do you call me good? ’ Jesus asked him. ‘No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honour your father and mother.’

‘I have kept all these from my youth,’ he said.

When Jesus heard this, he told him, ‘You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’

Those who heard this asked, ‘Then who can be saved? ’

He replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

Then Peter said, ‘Look, we have left what we had and followed you.’

So he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.’

Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spat on;

and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.’

They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Hearing a crowd passing by, he enquired what was happening.

‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,’ they told him.

So he called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ’

Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me! ’

Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him,

‘What do you want me to do for you? ’ ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I want to see.’

‘Receive your sight,’ Jesus told him. ‘Your faith has saved you.’

Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.

In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’

For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people,

but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them?

I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust:

“Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’

I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

People were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them. When the disciples saw this, they scolded them.

Then Jesus called them to him and said, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children.

I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.”

A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.

You know the commandments: Don’t commit adultery. Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.”

Then the ruler said, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “There’s one more thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.”

When he heard these words, the man became sad because he was extremely rich.

When Jesus saw this, he said, “It’s very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom!

It’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible for humans is possible for God.”

Peter said, “Look, we left everything we own and followed you.”

Jesus said to them, “I assure you that anyone who has left house, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, parents, or children because of God’s kingdom

will receive many times more in this age and eternal life in the coming age.”

Jesus took the Twelve aside and said, “Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and everything written about the Human One by the prophets will be accomplished.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be ridiculed, mistreated, and spit on.

After torturing him, they will kill him. On the third day, he will rise up.”

But the Twelve understood none of these words. The meaning of this message was hidden from them and they didn’t grasp what he was saying.

As Jesus came to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the road begging.

When the man heard the crowd passing by, he asked what was happening.

They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.”

The blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy.”

Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, show me mercy.”

Jesus stopped and called for the man to be brought to him. When he was present Jesus asked,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”

At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they praised God too.

Then Yeshua told his talmidim a parable, in order to impress on them that they must always keep praying and not lose heart.

“In a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected other people.

There was also in that town a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me a judgment against the man who is trying to ruin me.’

For a long time he refused; but after awhile, he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God, and I don’t respect other people;

but because this widow is such a nudnik, I will see to it that she gets justice — otherwise, she’ll keep coming and pestering me till she wears me out!’”

Then the Lord commented, “Notice what this corrupt judge says.

Now won’t God grant justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Is he delaying long over them?

I tell you that he will judge in their favor, and quickly! But when the Son of Man comes, will he find this trust on the earth at all?”

Also, to some who were relying on their own righteousness and looking down on everyone else, he told this parable:

“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Parush and the other a tax-collector.

The Parush stood and prayed to himself, ‘O God! I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, immoral, or like this tax-collector!

I fast twice a week, I pay tithes on my entire income, . . . ’

But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God! Have mercy on me, sinner that I am!’

I tell you, this man went down to his home right with God rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

People brought him babies to touch; but when the talmidim saw the people doing this, they rebuked them.

However, Yeshua called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me, and stop hindering them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Yes! I tell you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it at all!”

One of the leaders asked him, “Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?”

Yeshua said to him, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good but God!

You know the mitzvot — ‘Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, honor your father and mother, . . .’”

He replied, “I have kept all these since I was a boy.”

On hearing this Yeshua said to him, “There is one thing you still lack. Sell whatever you have, distribute the proceeds to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!”

But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

Yeshua looked at him and said, “How hard it is for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!

It’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

He said, “What is impossible humanly is possible with God.”

Kefa said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.”

Yeshua answered them, “Yes! I tell you that everyone who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

will receive many times as much in the ‘olam hazeh, and in the ‘olam haba eternal life.”

Then, taking the Twelve, Yeshua said to them, “We are now going up to Yerushalayim, where everything written through the prophets about the Son of Man will come true.

For he will be handed over to the Goyim and be ridiculed, insulted and spat upon.

Then, after they have beaten him, they will kill him. But on the third day he will rise.”

However, they understood none of this; its meaning had been hidden from them, and they had no idea what he was talking about.

As Yeshua approached Yericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging.

When he heard the crowd going past, he asked what it was all about;

and they told him, “Yeshua from Natzeret is passing by.”

He called out, “Yeshua! Son of David! Have pity on me!”

Those in front scolded him in order to get him to shut up, but he shouted all the louder, “Son of David! Have pity on me!”

Yeshua stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he had come, Yeshua asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Lord, let me be able to see.”

Yeshua said to him, “See again! your trust has healed you!”

Instantly he received his sight and began following him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they too praised God.

Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up:

In a town there was once a judge who didn't fear God or care about people.

In that same town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.”

For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don't fear God or care about people,

I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don't help her, she will wear me out.”

The Lord said: Think about what that crooked judge said.

Won't God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won't he be concerned for them?

He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?

Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:

Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there.

I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”

The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”

Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”

Some people brought their little children for Jesus to bless. But when his disciples saw them doing this, they told the people to stop bothering him.

So Jesus called the children over to him and said, “Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.

You will never get into God's kingdom unless you enter it like a child!”

An important man asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

You know the commandments: ‘Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother.’ ”

He told Jesus, “I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man.”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.”

When the man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus saw how sad the man was. So he said, “It's terribly hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!

In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom.”

When the crowd heard this, they asked, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

Jesus replied, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.”

Peter said, “Remember, we left everything to be your followers!”

Jesus answered, “You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or wife or brothers or family or children because of God's kingdom

will be given much more in this life. And in the future world they will have eternal life.”

Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said: We are now on our way to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will happen there.

He will be handed over to foreigners, who will make fun of him, mistreat him, and spit on him.

They will beat him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life.

The apostles did not understand what Jesus was talking about. They could not understand, because the meaning of what he said was hidden from them.

When Jesus was coming close to Jericho, a blind man sat begging beside the road.

The man heard the crowd walking by and asked what was happening.

Some people told him that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by.

So the blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

The people who were going along with Jesus told the man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

Jesus stopped and told some people to bring the blind man over to him. When the blind man was getting near, Jesus asked,

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see!” he answered.

Jesus replied, “Look and you will see! Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”

At once the man could see, and he went with Jesus and started thanking God. When the crowds saw what happened, they praised God.

And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint,

saying, There was a judge in a city, not fearing God and not respecting man:

and there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adverse party.

And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, If even I fear not God and respect not man,

at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.

And shall not God at all avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night, and he bears long as to them?

I say unto you that he will avenge them speedily. But when the Son of man comes, shall he indeed find faith on the earth?

And he spoke also to some, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and made nothing of all the rest [of men], this parable:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.

The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus to himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer.

I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain.

And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, O God, have compassion on me, the sinner.

I say unto you, This [man] went down to his house justified rather than that [other]. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

And they brought to him also infants that he might touch them, but the disciples when they saw [it] rebuked them.

But Jesus calling them to [him] said, Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say to you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good teacher, having done what, shall I inherit eternal life?

But Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, God.

Thou knowest the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these things have I kept from my youth.

And when Jesus had heard this, he said to him, One thing is lacking to thee yet: Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me.

But when he heard this he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

But when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How difficultly shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God;

for it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And those who heard it said, And who can be saved?

But he said, The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.

And Peter said, Behold, *we* have left all things and have followed thee.

And he said to them, Verily I say to you, There is no one who has left home, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,

who shall not receive manifold more at this time, and in the coming age life eternal.

And he took the twelve to [him] and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of man by the prophets shall be accomplished;

for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon.

And when they have scourged [him] they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again.

And they understood nothing of these things. And this word was hidden from them, and they did not know what was said.

And it came to pass when he came into the neighbourhood of Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging.

And when he heard the crowd passing, he inquired what this might be.

And they told him that Jesus the Nazaraean was passing by.

And he called out saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

And those [who were] going before rebuked him that he might be silent; but *he* cried out so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be led to him. And when he drew nigh he asked him [saying],

What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see.

And Jesus said to him, See: thy faith has healed thee.

And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people when they saw [it] gave praise to God.

And He was speaking a parable to them with-regard-to it being necessary that they always be praying and not losing-heart,

saying, “There was in a certain city a certain judge not fearing God and not having-regard-for the person.

And there was a widow in that city. And she was coming to him, saying, ‘Avenge me from my adversary’.

And he was not willing for a time. But after these things, he said within himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor have regard for the person,

yet because of this widow’s causing me trouble, I will avenge her— in order that she, while continually coming, may not be wearing me out’”.

And the Lord said, “Listen-to what the unrighteous judge is saying.

And shall not God execute vengeance for His chosen ones— the ones crying-out to Him by day and by night and He is being patient with them?

I say to you that He will execute vengeance for them quickly. However, the Son of Man having come, will He find faith on the earth?”

And He also spoke this parable to some putting-confidence upon themselves that they were righteous, and treating the rest with contempt—

“Two men went up to the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector.

The Pharisee, having stood, was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not just-like the rest of the people— swindlers, unrighteous ones, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I give-a-tenth-of all that I get’.

But the tax collector, standing at-a-distance, was not willing even to lift-up his eyes to heaven, but was striking his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

I say to you, this one went-down to his house having been declared-righteous, rather-than that one. Because everyone exalting himself will be humbled, but the one humbling himself will be exalted”.

And they were also bringing babies to Him in order that He might touch them. But having seen it, the disciples were rebuking them.

But Jesus summoned them, saying, “Permit the children to be coming to Me, and do not be forbidding them. For the kingdom of God is of such ones.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter into it”.

And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, [by] having done what shall I inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One— God.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit-adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give-false-testimony, be honoring your father and mother’”.

And the one said, “I kept these all from my youth”.

And having heard it, Jesus said to him, “One thing is still lacking for you— Sell all that you have and distribute it to poor ones, and you will have treasure in the heavens. And come, be following Me”.

But the one, having heard these things, became deeply-grieved. For he was extremely rich.

And having seen him having become deeply grieved, Jesus said, “How difficultly the ones having wealth come into the kingdom of God.

For it is easier that a camel enter through an opening of a needle than that a rich one enter into the kingdom of God”.

And the ones having heard it said, “Who indeed can be saved?”

And the One said, “The things impossible with humans are possible with God”.

And Peter said, “Behold— we, having left our own things, followed You”.

And the One said to them, “Truly I say to you all that there is no one who left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will by any means not receive back many-times-as-much in this time, and in the coming age— eternal life”.

And having taken aside the twelve, He said to them, “Behold— we are going up to Jerusalem. And all the things having been written by the prophets for the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

For He will be handed-over to the Gentiles. And He will be mocked and mistreated and spit-on.

And having whipped Him, they will kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise-up”.

And they understood none of these things. Indeed this statement had been hidden from them, and they were not coming-to-know the things being said.

And it came about during His drawing-near to Jericho, that a certain blind one was sitting beside the road, begging.

And having heard a crowd proceeding through, he was inquiring as to what this might be.

And they reported to him that “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by”.

And he shouted, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have-mercy-on me!”

And the ones preceding Him were rebuking him in order that he might be silent. But he was crying out by much more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And having stood [still], Jesus ordered that he be brought to Him. And he having drawn near, He asked him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

And the one said, “Master— that I may see-again!” And Jesus said to him, “See-again! Your faith has restored you”.

And at once he saw-again. And he was following Him, glorifying God. And all the people, having seen it, gave praise to God.

And he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint,

Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man.

And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary.

And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man,

Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.

And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night: and will he have patience in their regard?

I say to you, that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?

And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable:

Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.

I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

And they brought unto him also infants, that he might touch them. Which when the disciples saw, they rebuked them.

But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Amen, I say to you: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter into it.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying: Good master, what shall I do to possess everlasting life?

And Jesus said to him: Why dost thou call me good? None is good but God alone.

Thou knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Honour thy father and mother.

Who said: All these things have I kept from my youth.

Which when Jesus had heard, he said to him: Yet one thing is wanting to thee: sell all whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

He having heard these things, became sorrowful; for he was very rich.

And Jesus seeing him become sorrowful, said: How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.

For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they that heard it, said: Who then can be saved?

He said to them: The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God.

Then Peter said: Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee.

Who said to them: Amen, I say to you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,

Who shall not receive much more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man.

For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon:

And after they have scourged him, they will put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they understood not the things that were said.

Now it came to pass, when he drew nigh to Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the way side, begging.

And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant.

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

And he cried out, saying: Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.

And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus standing, commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him,

Saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see.

And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole.

And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Then Jesus taught the followers that they should always pray and never lose hope. He used this story to teach them:

“Once there was a judge in a town. He did not care about God. He also did not care what people thought about him.

In that same town there was a woman whose husband had died. She came many times to this judge and said, ‘There is a man who is doing bad things to me. Give me my rights!’

But the judge did not want to help the woman. After a long time, the judge thought to himself, ‘I don’t care about God. And I don’t care about what people think.

But this woman is bothering me. If I give her what she wants, then she will leave me alone. But if I don’t give her what she wants, she will bother me until I am sick.’”

The Lord said, “Listen, there is meaning in what the bad judge said.

God’s people shout to him night and day, and he will always give them what is right. He will not be slow to answer them.

I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find people on earth who believe in him?”

There were some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else. Jesus used this story to teach them:

“One time there was a Pharisee and a tax collector. One day they both went to the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee stood alone, away from the tax collector. When the Pharisee prayed, he said, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people. I am not like men who steal, cheat, or commit adultery. I thank you that I am better than this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of everything I get!’

“The tax collector stood alone too. But when he prayed, he would not even look up to heaven. He felt very humble before God. He said, ‘O God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!’

I tell you, when this man finished his prayer and went home, he was right with God. But the Pharisee, who felt that he was better than others, was not right with God. People who make themselves important will be made humble. But those who make themselves humble will be made important.”

Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this.

But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children.

The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.”

A religious leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

And you know his commands: ‘You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not tell lies about others, you must respect your father and mother ….’”

But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, “But there is still one thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to those who are poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

But when the man heard Jesus tell him to give away his money, he was sad. He didn’t want to do this, because he was very rich.

When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, “It will be very hard for rich people to enter God’s kingdom.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

When the people heard this, they said, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus answered, “God can do things that are not possible for people to do.”

Peter said, “Look, we left everything we had and followed you.”

Jesus said, “I can promise that everyone who has left their home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God’s kingdom

will get much more than they left. They will get many times more in this life. And in the world that is coming they will get the reward of eternal life.”

Then Jesus talked to the twelve apostles alone. He said to them, “Listen, we are going to Jerusalem. Everything that God told the prophets to write about the Son of Man will happen.

He will be handed over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him, insult him, and spit on him.

They will beat him with whips and then kill him. But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.”

The apostles tried to understand this, but they could not; the meaning was hidden from them.

Jesus came near the city of Jericho. There was a blind man sitting beside the road. He was begging people for money.

When he heard the people coming down the road, he asked, “What is happening?”

They told him, “Jesus, the one from Nazareth, is coming here.”

The blind man was excited and said, “Jesus, Son of David, please help me!”

The people who were in front leading the group criticized the blind man. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!”

Jesus stopped there and said, “Bring that man to me!” When he came close, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see again.”

Jesus said to him, “You can see now. You are healed because you believed.”

Then the man was able to see. He followed Jesus, thanking God. Everyone who saw this praised God for what happened.

Then Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to teach them that they must go on praying always. They must not get tired.

He said to them, ‘In a certain city, there was a judge. He was not afraid of God. He did not respect people.

A woman lived in that same city. Her husband had died. She came to the judge many times with a problem. “Somebody is doing bad things against me. Please keep me safe from that person,” she was saying.

For a long time, the judge would not do anything to help her. Later, he thought, “I am not afraid of God. Nor do I respect people.

But this woman causes me trouble. If I do not do anything for her, she will continue to come to me again and again. She will make me ill. So I will help her to be safe. I will say that she is right.” ’

Jesus then said, ‘This judge was not a good man. But you should think about what he said. He helped the woman because she caused him trouble.

But as for God, he always helps those that he has chosen to be his children. When they continue to ask him for help, in the day and in the night, he will answer them. He will not wait.

I tell you this. He will show that they are right. He will help them quickly. I, the Son of Man, will return to earth. But will I find many people that still believe in me then, or not?’

Jesus told a story to teach other people. These people thought that they were very good in front of God. They thought that they were much better than other people.

Jesus said, ‘One day, two men went into the temple to pray. One man was a Pharisee. The other man took taxes from people.

The Pharisee stood there by himself. He prayed like this: “Thank you, God, that I am different from all these other people. They are bad people. They rob other people. They have sex with women who are not their wife. Thank you, God, that I am not like this man who takes taxes on behalf of the government.

I fast for two days of each week. I give to you one tenth of all the things and money that I receive.”

But the other man stood far away. He would not even look up towards heaven. He was hitting his body with his hands to show how sorry he was. He prayed like this: “Please, God, be kind to me. I have done many bad things.” ’

Jesus then said, ‘Let me tell you about these men when they went home. The man that took taxes from people was now right with God. But the Pharisee was still guilty. Some people lift themselves up to be important. But God will bring all of them down low. Other people are humble. God will lift up those people to a good place.’

People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. But Jesus' disciples did not like this. They told the people that they should not do it.

Then Jesus told the children to come to him. He said to his disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of God is like.

I tell you this: A person must become like a little child for God to rule in his life. If he does not become like a child, he will not come into the kingdom of God.’

A Jewish ruler came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’

Jesus asked him, ‘Why do you say that I am good? Only God is good. Nobody else.

You know God's rules: “Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not kill anyone. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. Love your father and your mother, and obey them.” ’

The man replied, ‘I have obeyed all these laws since I was a young man.’

Jesus heard what he said and he replied, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’

When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. This was because he was a very rich man.

Jesus saw that the ruler had become sad. He said, ‘It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives.

The hole in a needle is very small. A camel cannot go through it! But it is even more difficult than that for a rich person to let God rule in their life.’

The people who were listening to Jesus said, ‘So perhaps God will not save anyone!’

Jesus replied, ‘God can do things that are impossible for people to do.’

Peter then said to Jesus, ‘Look! We have left everything that we had. Now we are your disciples.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their wife or their brothers. Or they may have left their parents or their children. They have done this to work for the kingdom of God.

Now, in this world, God will give these people many more things than they have left behind. And in the future world they will live for ever with God.’

Jesus took the 12 disciples away from the other people. ‘Listen!’ he said to them. ‘We are going to Jerusalem. There, many bad things will happen to me. All the things that God's prophets wrote down long ago about the Son of Man will now happen to me.

The Jewish leaders will deliver me to people that are not Jews. They will laugh at me. They will say bad things against me. They will spit at me.

They will hit me with whips and then they will kill me. But after three days, I will become alive again.’

The 12 disciples did not understand any of these things. What Jesus said did not mean anything to them. So they did not know what Jesus was talking about.

When Jesus was getting near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the side of the road. He was asking people to give him money.

Then he heard a large crowd of people as they went along the road. So he asked the people near him what was happening.

They told him, ‘Jesus from Nazareth is walking past.’

The man began to shout out. ‘Jesus! Son of David! Please be kind to me and help me.’

The people who were walking at the front of the crowd were angry with him. They told him that he should be quiet. But he started to shout even louder, ‘Son of David! Please help me!’

Then Jesus stopped. He said to the people, ‘Bring that man to me.’ When the man came near, Jesus asked him,

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ the blind man replied, ‘I want to see again.’

Jesus said to him, ‘See again! You are well now because you believed in me.’

Immediately, the man could see again. He started to follow Jesus along the road. He was praising God. Many people saw what had happened. They also praised God.

Jesus told them a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart:

“There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not care about people.

There was a widow in that town, and she kept going to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my adversary!’

For some time he refused, but after a while he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or care about people,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not wear me out with her endless pleading.’”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them?

I tell you that he will give them justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Jesus told this parable to certain people who trusted in themselves (that they were righteous) and looked down on others:

“Two men went up to the temple courts to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all my income.’

“However the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes up to heaven, but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

“I tell you, this man went home justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

People were bringing even their babies to Jesus, so that he would touch them. When the disciples saw this, they began to rebuke them.

But Jesus invited them, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Amen I tell you: Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God.

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.’”

“I have kept all these since I was a child,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the ruler heard these words, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

When Jesus saw that the man became very sad, he said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

In fact, 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.”

Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”

He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible for God.”

And Peter said, “Look, we have left our possessions and followed you.”

He said to them, “Amen I tell you: Anyone who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

will most certainly receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”

He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

Indeed, he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, mistreat him, spit on him,

flog him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”

They did not understand any of these things. What he said was hidden from them, and they did not understand what was said.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man sat by the road, begging.

When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by.

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who were at the front of the crowd rebuked him, telling him to be quiet. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see again.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.”

Immediately he received his sight and began following Jesus, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God.

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.

And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”

And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

For a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spat upon.

And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

And hearing a crowd going by, he enquired what this meant.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”

And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Then Jesus used this ·story [parable] to ·teach his followers [show the necessity] that they should always pray and never ·lose hope [become discouraged].

“In a certain town there was a judge who did not ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people thought].

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].’

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],

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].’”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the ·unfair [unjust; unrighteous] judge said.

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].

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]?”

Jesus told this ·story [parable] to some people who ·thought they were very good [were confident of their own righteousness] and ·looked down on [scorned; despised] everyone else:

“Two men went up to the Temple [courts] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [^Cdespised by their fellow Jews because they worked for the hated Romans and were notorious for extortion].

The Pharisee ·stood alone and prayed [or stood and prayed about himself], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—thieves, ·cheaters [evildoers; unrighteous people], adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week [^CPharisees commonly fasted on Monday and Thursday], and I ·give one-tenth of [pay tithes on] everything I get!’

“[^LBut] The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even ·look up [^Lraise his eyes] to heaven. But he beat on his chest [^Ca sign of sorrow and remorse] and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

I tell you, when this man went home, he was ·right with God [justified], ·but the Pharisee was not [^Lrather than that (other) man]. [^LBecause] All who ·make themselves great [exalt themselves] will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be ·made great [exalted].”

Some people brought even their babies to Jesus so he could touch them. When the ·followers [disciples] saw this, they ·told them to stop [scolded/rebuked them].

But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t ·stop [hinder; forbid] them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children [^Cmeaning humble and dependent].

I tell you the truth, you must ·accept [receive] the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it.”

A certain ·leader [ruler] asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ·have life forever [^Linherit eternal life]?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? ·Only God is good [^LNo one is good except one—God; ^CJesus is not denying his own divinity, but is challenging the man’s understanding of goodness].

You know the commands: ‘You must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not ·tell lies [testify falsely] about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother [Ex. 20:12–16; Deut. 5:16–20].’”

But the leader said, “I have ·obeyed [kept carefully; guarded] all these commands since ·I was a boy [my youth].”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you ·need to do [lack]. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was ·very [extremely] rich.

·Jesus looked at him and [or When Jesus saw this reaction, he] said, “·It is very hard [^LHow hard it is…!] for ·rich people [^Lthose who have wealth] to enter the kingdom of God.

[^LFor; Indeed] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God [^Cmeaning it is impossible, by human effort; see v. 27].”

When the people heard this, they asked, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus answered, “The things impossible ·for people [humanly speaking] are possible for God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left ·everything [or our possessions; or our home] and followed you.”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, wives, brothers [or siblings], parents, or children ·for [for the sake of] the kingdom of God

will get much more in this ·life [age; ^Ltime]. And in the ·age [aeon; world] that is coming, they will have ·life forever [eternal life].”

Then Jesus took ·the twelve apostles [^Lthe Twelve] aside and said to them, “[^LLook; ^TBehold] We are going [^Lup] to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will ·happen [be fulfilled/completed/accomplished].

He will be turned over to the Gentiles [^Cthe Roman authorities]. They will ·laugh at [mock] him, insult him, spit on him,

·beat him with whips [flog him; ^Tscourge him], and kill him. But on the third day, he will rise to life again.”

·The apostles [^LThey] did not understand this; the meaning was hidden from them, and they did not ·realize [comprehend] what was said.

As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

When he heard the people ·coming down the road [passing by], he asked, “What is happening?”

They told him, “Jesus, ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene], is going by.”

The blind man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David [^Ca title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16], ·have mercy [take pity] on me!”

The people leading the group ·warned [rebuked; scolded] the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, “Son of David, ·have mercy [take pity] on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see.”

Jesus said to him, “Then see. ·You are healed because you believed [Your faith has healed/saved you].”

At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.

2 The parable of the unrighteous Judge and the widow. 10 Of the Pharisee and the Publican. 15 Children are of the kingdom of heaven. 22 To sell all and give to the poor. 28 The Apostles forsake all. 31 Christ foretelleth his death. 35 The blind man receiveth sight. And he spake also a parable unto them, to this end, that they ought always to pray, and not to wax faint,

Saying, there was a judge in a certain city, which feared not God, neither reverenced man.

And there was a widow in that city, which came unto him, saying, Do me justice against mine adversary.

And he would not of a long time: but afterward he said with himself, Though I fear not God, nor reverence man,

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will do her right, lest at the last she come and make me weary.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.

Now shall not God avenge his elect, which cry day and night unto him, yea, though he suffer long for them?

I tell you he will avenge them quickly: but when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

¶ He spake also this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were just, and despised others.

Two men went up into the Temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, O God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.

I fast twice in the week: I give tithe of all that ever I possess.

But the Publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man departed to his house, justified rather than the other: for every man that exalteth himself shall be brought low, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

¶ They brought unto him also babes that he should touch them. And when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer the babes to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God as a babe, he shall not enter therein.

Then a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what ought I do, to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Honor thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth.

Now when Jesus heard that, he said unto him, yet lackest thou one thing, Sell all that ever thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me.

But when he heard those things, he was very heavy: for he was marvelous rich.

And when Jesus saw him very sorrowful, he said, With what difficulty shall they that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God!

Surely it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Then said they that heard it, And who then shall be saved?

And he said, The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God.

¶ Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children for the kingdom of God’s sake,

Which shall not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting.

¶ Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be fulfilled to the Son of man, that are written by the Prophets.

For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shall be spiteful entreated, and shall be spitted on.

And when they have scourged him, they will put him to death: but the third day he shall rise again.

But they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither perceived they the things, which were spoken.

¶ And it came to pass, that as he was come near unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging.

And when he heard the people pass by, he asked what it meant.

And they said unto him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by.

Then he cried, saying, Jesus the Son of David, have mercy on me.

And they which went before, rebuked him that he should hold his peace, but he cried much more, O Son of David have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him,

Saying, What wilt thou that I do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Then immediately he received his sight, and followed him, praising God: and all the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God.

Jesus used this illustration with his disciples to show them that they need to pray all the time and never give up.

He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people.

In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice.’

“For a while the judge refused to do anything. But then he thought, ‘This widow really annoys me. Although I don’t fear God or respect people,

I’ll have to give her justice. Otherwise, she’ll keep coming to me until she wears me out.’ ”

The Lord added, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge thought.

Won’t God give his chosen people justice when they cry out to him for help day and night? Is he slow to help them?

I can guarantee that he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else.

He said, “Two men went into the temple courtyard to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.’

“But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

“I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”

Some people brought infants to Jesus to have him hold them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people not to do that.

But Jesus called the infants to him and said, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of God’s kingdom.

I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive God’s kingdom as a little child receives it will never enter it.”

An official asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God.

You know the commandments: Never commit adultery. Never murder. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and your mother.”

The official replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still need one thing. Sell everything you have. Distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

When the official heard this, he became sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus watched him and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom!

Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

Those who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

Jesus said, “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.”

Then Peter said, “We’ve left everything to follow you.”

Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of God’s kingdom

will certainly receive many times as much in this life and will receive eternal life in the world to come.”

Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, “We’re going to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

He will be handed over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, insult him, spit on him,

whip him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life.”

But they didn’t understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they didn’t know what he meant.

As Jesus came near Jericho, a blind man was sitting and begging by the road.

When he heard the crowd going by, he tried to find out what was happening.

The people told him that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by.

Then the blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The people at the front of the crowd told the blind man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Lord, I want to see again.”

Jesus told him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has made you well.”

Immediately, he could see again. He followed Jesus and praised God. All the people saw this, and they, too, praised God.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.

“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.

And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, ‘Help me against my opponent!’

For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or respect people,

yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!’”

And the Lord continued, “Listen to what that corrupt judge said.

Now, will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them?

I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?”

Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else.

“Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, ‘I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there.

I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, ‘God, have pity on me, a sinner!’

I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.”

Some people brought their babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. The disciples saw them and scolded them for doing so,

but Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.’”

The man replied, “Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.”

But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus saw that he was sad and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God!

It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”

The people who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”

Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”

“Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God

will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, insult him, and spit on him.

They will whip him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life.”

But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.

As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging.

When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, “What is this?”

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.

He cried out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.”

Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.”

At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:

“There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect man.

And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

“For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man,

yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’”

Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them?

I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth?”

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

“Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people —greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me —a sinner!’

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Some people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

A ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother. ”

“I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, He told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

He replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed You.”

So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Then He took the Twelve aside and told them, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked, insulted, spit on;

and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day.”

They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

As He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant.

“Jesus the Nazarene is passing by,” they told him.

So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

“Receive your sight!” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.”

Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should always pray and never lose hope.

“Once there was a judge in a town. He did not care about God. He also did not care what people thought about him.

In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to this judge. She said, ‘There is a man who is not being fair to me. Give me my rights!’

But the judge did not want to help the widow. After a long time, he thought to himself, ‘I don’t care about God. And I don’t care about what people think.

But this widow is bothering me. I will see that she gets her rights, or she will bother me until I am worn out!’”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the bad judge said.

God’s people cry to him night and day. God will always give them what is right, and he will not be slow to answer them.

I tell you, God will help his people quickly! But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?”

There were some people who thought that they were very good and looked down on everyone else. Jesus used this story to teach them:

“One day there was a Pharisee and a tax collector. Both went to the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee stood alone, away from the tax collector. When the Pharisee prayed, he said, ‘God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people. I am not like men who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery. I thank you that I am better than this tax collector.

I give up eating twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I earn!’

“The tax collector stood at a distance. When he prayed, he would not even look up to heaven. He beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!’

I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God. But the Pharisee was not right with God. Everyone who makes himself great will be made humble. But everyone who makes himself humble will be made great.”

Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could touch them. When the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this.

But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children.

I tell you the truth. You must accept God’s kingdom like a little child, or you will never enter it!”

A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get the life that continues forever?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

You know the commands: ‘You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor in court. Honor your father and mother.’”

But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy!”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “But there is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to the poor. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me!”

But when the man heard this, he became very sad because he was very rich.

When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, “It will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!

It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”

When the people heard this, they asked, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus answered, “The things impossible for men are possible for God.”

Peter said, “Look, we left everything we had and followed you!”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Everyone who has left his house, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God’s kingdom

will get much more than he left. He will receive many times more in this life. And after he dies, he will live with God forever.”

Then Jesus talked to the 12 apostles alone. He said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem. Everything that God told the prophets to write about the Son of Man will happen!

He will be turned over to the non-Jewish people. They will laugh at him, insult him, and spit on him.

They will beat him with whips and then kill him. But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.”

The apostles tried to understand this, but they could not; the meaning was hidden from them.

Jesus was coming near the city of Jericho. There was a blind man sitting beside the road, begging for money.

When he heard the people coming down the road, he asked, “What is happening?”

They told him, “Jesus, the one from Nazareth, is coming here.”

The blind man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David! Please help me!”

The people who were in front, leading the group, told the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Bring the blind man to me!” When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see again.”

Jesus said to him, “Then see! You are healed because you believed.”

At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up.

He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people.

In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

For a while the judge refused. But later, he told himself, ‘I don’t fear God or respect people,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.’”

Then the Lord added, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.

Won’t God grant his chosen people justice when they cry out to him day and night? Is he slow to help them?

I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else:

“Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘O God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!’

I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

Jesus, however, called for the children and said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.

I tell all of you with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never get into it at all.”

Then an official asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Nobody is good except for one—God.

You know the commandments: ‘Never commit adultery. Never murder. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.’”

The official replied, “I have kept all of these since I was a young man.”

When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still need to do one thing. Sell everything you have and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.”

But when the official heard this he became sad, because he was very rich.

So when Jesus saw how sad he was, he said, “How hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”

Those who were listening to Jesus asked, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “The things that are impossible for people are possible for God.”

Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.”

Jesus told them, “I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God

who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.”

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled,

because he’ll be handed over to the unbelievers, and will be mocked, insulted, and spit on.

After they have whipped him, they’ll kill him, but on the third day he’ll rise again.”

But they didn’t understand any of this. What he said was hidden from them, and they didn’t know what he meant.

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road begging.

When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

They told him that Jesus from Nazareth was coming by.

So he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The people at the front of the crowd sternly told him to be quiet, but he started shouting even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see again!”

So Jesus told him, “See again! Your faith has made you well.”

Immediately the man could see again and began to follow Jesus, glorifying God. All the people saw this and gave praise to God.

Then he gave them an illustration to show that they must always pray and never lose heart.

“Once upon a time,” he said, “there was a magistrate in a town who had neither fear of God nor respect for his fellow-men. There was a widow in the town who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Please protect me from the man who is trying to ruin me.’ And for a long time he refused. But later he said to himself, ‘Although I don’t fear God and have no respect for men, yet this woman is such a nuisance that I shall give judgment in her favour, or else her continual visits will be the death of me!’”

Then the Lord said, “Notice how this dishonest magistrate behaved. Do you suppose God, patient as he is, will not see justice done for his chosen, who appeal to him day and night? I assure you he will not delay in seeing justice done. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find men on earth who believe in him?”

Then he gave this illustration to certain people who were confident of their own goodness and looked down on others: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one was a Pharisee, the other was a tax-collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed like this with himself, ‘O God, I do thank you that I am not like the rest of mankind, greedy, dishonest, impure, or even like that tax-collector over there. I fast twice every week; I give away a tenth-part of all my income.’ But the tax-collector stood in a distant corner, scarcely daring to look up to Heaven, and with a gesture of despair, said, ‘God, have mercy on a sinner like me.’ I assure you that he was the man who went home justified in God’s sight, rather than the other one. For everyone who sets himself up as somebody will become a nobody, and the man who makes himself nobody will become somebody.”

Then people began to bring babies to him so that he could put his hands on them. But when the disciples noticed it, they frowned on them. But Jesus called them to him, and said, “You must let little children come to me, and you must never prevent their coming. The kingdom of God belongs to little children like these. I tell you, the man who will not accept the kingdom of God like a little child will never get into it at all.”

Then one of the Jewish rulers put this question to him, “Master, I know that you are good; tell me, please, what must I do to be sure of eternal life?”

“I wonder why you call me good?” returned Jesus. “No one is good—only the one God. You know the commandments—‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honour your father and your mother’”

“All these,” he replied, “I have carefully kept since I was quite young.”

And when Jesus heard that, he said to him, “There is still one thing you have missed. Sell everything you possess and give the money away to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven. Then come and follow me.”

But when he heard this, he was greatly distressed for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw how his face fell, he remarked, “How difficult it is for those who have great possessions to enter the kingdom of God! A camel could squeeze through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man could get into the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard Jesus say this, exclaimed, “Then who can possibly be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What men find impossible is perfectly possible with God.”

“Well,” rejoined Peter, “we have left all that we ever had and followed you.”

And Jesus told them, “Believe me, nobody has left his home or wife, or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, without receiving very much more in this present life—and eternal life in the world to come.”

Then Jesus took the twelve on one side and spoke to them, “Listen to me. We are now going up to Jerusalem and everything that has been written by the prophets about the Son of Man will come true. For he will be handed over to the heathen, and he is going to be jeered at and insulted and spat upon, and then they will flog and kill him. But he will rise again on the third day.”

But they did not understand any of this, His words were quite obscure to them and they had no idea of what he meant.

Then, as he was approaching Jericho, it happened that there was a blind man sitting by the roadside, begging. He heard the crowd passing and enquired what it was all about. And they told him, “Jesus the man from Nazareth is going past you.” So he shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

Those who were in front tried to hush his cries. But that made him call out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

So Jesus stood quite still and ordered the man to be brought to him. And when he was quite close, he said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, make me see again,” he cried.

“You can see again! Your faith has cured you,” returned Jesus. And his sight was restored at once, and he followed Jesus, praising God. All the people who saw it thanked God too.

¶ And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that it behooves us always to pray and not faint,

saying, There was in a city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man;

and there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Defend me from my adversary.

And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God, nor regard man,

yet because this widow troubles me, I will do her justice, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.

And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry day and night unto him though he bears long regarding them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

¶ And he spoke this parable unto some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast two meals every sabbath; I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, reconcile me, a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for anyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

¶ And they brought unto him also infants that he would touch them; but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him and said, Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

¶ And a certain prince asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why dost thou call me good? No one is good except one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these things I have kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard this, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How difficult it is for those that have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier to put a cable through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And those that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Then Peter said, Behold, we have left all and followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no one that has left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God’s sake

who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the age to come, eternal life.

¶ Then he took unto him the twelve and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully treated and spitted on;

and they shall scourge him and put him to death, but the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they did not know what was said.

¶ And it came to pass that as he came near unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat beside the way begging,

and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what this might be.

And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by.

And he cried out, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And those who went before rebuked him that he should remain silent; but he cried out so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought unto him, and when he was come near, he asked him,

saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see.

And Jesus said unto him, See; thy faith has saved thee.

And immediately he saw and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,

Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

saying, “In a certain city there was a certain judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.

Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’

And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge *said.

Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they were rebuking them.

But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

And a ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

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.”

And those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

And Peter said, “Behold, we have left all that is our own and followed You.”

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times more at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

But when He took the twelve aside, He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed.

For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon,

and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him, and the third day He will rise again.”

But the disciples understood none of these things, and this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Now it happened that as Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.

They reported to him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who went ahead were rebuking him so that he would be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him, and when he came near, He questioned him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”

And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.”

Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God. And when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged,

saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people.

And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’

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,

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 coming back!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying!

And will not God surely see to it that justice is done to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them?

I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done for them soon! Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”

And he also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on everyone else:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and 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!

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’

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!’

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.”

Now they were bringing even their babies to him so that he could touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it.”

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, by doing what will I inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.”

And when he heard this, Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.”

But when he heard these things he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

And Jesus took notice of him and said, “How difficult it is for those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!

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.

So those who heard this said, “And who can be saved?”

But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

And Peter said, “Behold, we have left all that is ours and followed you.”

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,

who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

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.

For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and mistreated and spit on,

and after flogging him they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

And they understood none of these things, and this saying was concealed from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging.

And when he heard a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.

And they told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.”

And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who were in front rebuked him, that he should be silent, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

So Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought to him. And when he approached, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may regain my sight.

And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight! Your faith has saved you.”

And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes.

“There was a city judge,” he said, “a very godless man who had great contempt for everyone.

A widow of that city came to him frequently to appeal for justice against a man who had harmed her.

The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she got on his nerves. “‘I fear neither God nor man,’ he said to himself, ‘but this woman bothers me. I’m going to see that she gets justice, for she is wearing me out with her constant coming!’”

Then the Lord said, “If even an evil judge can be worn down like that,

don’t you think that God will surely give justice to his people who plead with him day and night?

Yes! He will answer them quickly! But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith and are praying?”

Then he told this story to some who boasted of their virtue and scorned everyone else:

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other a cheating tax collector.

The proud Pharisee ‘prayed’ this prayer: ‘Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t commit adultery,

I go without food twice a week, and I give to God a tenth of everything I earn.’

“But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’

I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven! For the proud shall be humbled, but the humble shall be honored.”

One day some mothers brought their babies to him to touch and bless. But the disciples told them to go away.

Then Jesus called the children over to him and said to the disciples, “Let the little children come to me! Never send them away! For the Kingdom of God belongs to men who have hearts as trusting as these little children’s. And anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get within the Kingdom’s gates.”

Once a Jewish religious leader asked him this question: “Good sir, what shall I do to get to heaven?”

“Do you realize what you are saying when you call me ‘good’?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good, and no one else.

“But as to your question, you know what the Ten Commandments say—don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your parents, and so on.”

The man replied, “I’ve obeyed every one of these laws since I was a small child.”

“There is still one thing you lack,” Jesus said. “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor—it will become treasure for you in heaven—and come, follow me.”

But when the man heard this he went sadly away, for he was very rich.

Jesus watched him go and then said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!

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.”

Those who heard him say this exclaimed, “If it is that hard, how can anyone be saved?”

He replied, “God can do what men can’t!”

And Peter said, “We have left our homes and followed you.”

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and everyone who has done as you have, leaving home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God,

will be repaid many times over now, as well as receiving eternal life in the world to come.”

Gathering the Twelve around him he told them, “As you know, we are going to Jerusalem. And when we get there, all the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning me will come true.

I will be handed over to the Gentiles to be mocked and treated shamefully and spat upon,

and lashed and killed. And the third day I will rise again.”

But they didn’t understand a thing he said. He seemed to be talking in riddles.

As they approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging from travelers.

When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.

He was told that Jesus from Nazareth was going by,

so he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The crowds ahead of Jesus tried to hush the man, but he only yelled the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus arrived at the spot, he stopped. “Bring the blind man over here,” he said.

Then Jesus asked the man, “What do you want?” “Lord,” he pleaded, “I want to see!”

And Jesus said, “All right, begin seeing! Your faith has healed you.”

And instantly the man could see and followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it happen praised God too.

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

“He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ‘Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’

“Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’”

Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.” * * *

People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. “Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

One day one of the local officials asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don’t you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother.”

He said, “I’ve kept them all for as long as I can remember.”

When Jesus heard that, he said, “Then there’s only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.

Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God’s kingdom? I’d say it’s easier to thread a camel through a needle’s eye than get a rich person into God’s kingdom.”

“Then who has any chance at all?” the others asked.

“No chance at all,” Jesus said, “if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

Peter tried to regain some initiative: “We left everything we owned and followed you, didn’t we?”

“Yes,” said Jesus, “and you won’t regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children—whatever—will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!”

Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, “Listen carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will take place. He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, ridiculed, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him. In three days he will rise, alive.” But they didn’t get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about.

He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”

He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me?”

He said, “Master, I want to see again.”

Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!” The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.

He told them a parable to illustrate that it is necessary always to pray and not lose heart.

He said: “In a city there was a judge who did not fear God or regard man.

And a widow was in that city. She came to him, saying, ‘Avenge me against my adversary.’

“He would not for a while. Yet afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I do not fear God or respect man,

yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she will weary me.’ ”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge says.

And shall not God avenge His own elect and be patient with them, who cry day and night to Him?

I tell you, He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

He told this parable to some who trusted in themselves, as though they were righteous, and despised others:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed these things about himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I tithe of all that I earn.’

“But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but struck his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

They also brought infants to Him that He might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Permit the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them. For to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Truly, I say to you, whoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will in no wise enter it.”

A certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good, except God alone.

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother. ”

He said, “All these I have kept since my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “Yet you lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”

When he heard this he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

When Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

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.”

Those who heard this said, “Who then can be saved?”

He said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

He said to them, “Truly, I tell you, there is no man who has left his home or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who shall not receive many times more in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

Taking the twelve, He said, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished,

for He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

They will scourge Him and put Him to death, and on the third day He will rise again.”

They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what was spoken.

As He was drawing near Jericho, a certain blind man sat along the way begging.

Hearing a crowd passing by, he asked what it meant.

They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

He cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who went in front rebuked him, so that he would keep quiet. But he cried out much more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought to Him. When he came near, He asked him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, grant that I may receive my sight.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.”

Immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God. When all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Then Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they should continue to pray at all times and never give up.

He said, “There was a certain judge in a certain city who neither feared · God · nor had any regard for people.

There was a widow · in · that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Vindicate me against · my adversary.’

· He didn’t want to for a time. But later on he said to himself, ‘Though · I neither fear · God nor have regard for people,

yet because · this widow keeps bothering me, · I will vindicate her, so that by her coming she will not ultimately wear me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge · says.

Will not · · God certainly vindicate · · his elect, who cry to him day and night, and have patience with them?

I tell you, he will vindicate · them without delay; but will the Son of Man, when he comes, find · faith on · earth?”

He also told · this parable to some who were confident in themselves, because they were righteous, and treated · others with contempt. ·

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed like this to himself: · ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of mankind—swindlers, rogues, adulterers, or even like this · tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I tithe all that I get.’

The tax collector, however, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes to · heaven, but kept beating · his breast, saying, · ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house upright in the sight of God, · rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now people were bringing to him even · little ones so he would touch them. However, when the disciples saw it, they began to rebuke them.

· But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall certainly never enter it.”

Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, · “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—· God.

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor · your father and · mother.’

The · man replied, “All these I have kept since my youth.”

Upon hearing this, · · Jesus said to him, “One thing you still lack: sell all that you have and distribute the proceeds to the poor, and you will have treasure in · heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when he heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.

Jesus looked at · him, · becoming very sad, and said, “How difficult it is for those who have · wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

In fact, 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!”

Those who heard it said, · “Who, then, can be saved?”

Jesus · said, “What is impossible for mortal beings is possible for · God.”

Then Peter said, · “Look, we have left what was ours and followed you.”

Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or siblings or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God

who will not receive many times as much in · this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

Taking · the twelve aside, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything · written by the prophets regarding the Son of Man will be carried out.

For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be ridiculed and ill-treated and spat on.

Then after scourging him, they will kill him, but on the third day · he will arise again.”

But the twelve understood none of these things; in fact, what he said was kept hidden from them and they did not grasp what was being said.

· As Jesus drew near to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the roadside, asking for alms.

When he heard · a crowd going by, he inquired what this might be.

They told · him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

So he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

· Those who were leading the way began to rebuke him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped · · and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man had come near, · Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He · said, “Lord, that I might see again.”

· · Jesus said to him, “See again! · Your faith has saved you.”

And immediately he could see again, and began to follow Jesus, giving glory to · God. And all the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God.

Yeshua used this illustration with his disciples to show them that they need to pray all the time and never give up.

He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people.

In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice.’

“For a while the judge refused to do anything. But then he thought, ‘This widow really annoys me. Although I don’t fear God or respect people,

I’ll have to give her justice. Otherwise, she’ll keep coming to me until she wears me out.’”

The Lord added, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge thought.

Won’t God give his chosen people justice when they cry out to him for help day and night? Is he slow to help them?

I can guarantee that he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Yeshua also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else.

He said, “Two men went into the temple courtyard to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.’

“But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

“I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”

Some people brought infants to Yeshua to have him hold them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people not to do that.

But Yeshua called the infants to him and said, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of the kingdom of God.

I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it.”

An official asked Yeshua, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Yeshua said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God.

You know the commandments: Never commit adultery. Never murder. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and your mother.”

The official replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”

When Yeshua heard this, he said to him, “You still need one thing. Sell everything you have. Distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

When the official heard this, he became sad, because he was very rich.

Yeshua watched him and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

Yeshua said, “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.”

Then Peter said, “We’ve left everything to follow you.”

Yeshua said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God

will certainly receive many times as much in this life and will receive eternal life in the world to come.”

Yeshua took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, “We’re going to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

He will be handed over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, insult him, spit on him,

whip him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life.”

But they didn’t understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they didn’t know what he meant.

As Yeshua came near Jericho, a blind man was sitting and begging by the road.

When he heard the crowd going by, he tried to find out what was happening.

The people told him that Yeshua from Nazareth was passing by.

Then the blind man shouted, “Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The people at the front of the crowd told the blind man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Yeshua stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him. When the man came near, Yeshua asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Lord, I want to see again.”

Yeshua told him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has made you well.”

Immediately, he could see again. He followed Yeshua and praised God. All the people saw this, and they, too, praised God.

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said,

“There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,

because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?

I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’

But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.

Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”

An official asked him this question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’”

And he replied, “All of these I have observed from my youth.”

When Jesus heard this he said to him, “There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich.

Jesus looked at him [now sad] and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”

And he said, “What is impossible for human beings is possible for God.”

Then Peter said, “We have given up our possessions and followed you.”

He said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

who will not receive [back] an overabundant return in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

Then he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon;

and after they have scourged him they will kill him, but on the third day he will rise.”

But they understood nothing of this; the word remained hidden from them and they failed to comprehend what he said.

Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,

and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”

Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,

saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.

Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’

For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person,

yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said;

now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?

I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

But Jesus called for the little ones, saying, “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Honor your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.”

Now when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.

And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”

Those who heard Him said, “And so who can be saved?”

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times as much at this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Now He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be ridiculed, and abused, and spit upon,

and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise.”

The disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Now as Jesus was approaching Jericho, a man who was blind was sitting by the road, begging.

But when he heard a crowd going by, he began inquiring what this was.

They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He asked him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”

And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight; your faith has made you well.”

And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.

There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’

For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said;

now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”

And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

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.”

They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon,

and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.”

But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.

They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him,

“What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”

And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Then Jesus told them a parable about the need for them to pray always and never to lose heart.

He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor had any respect for people.

In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to him and pleading, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For a long time he refused her request, but finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor have any respect for people,

yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will see to it that she gets justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.’ ”

Then the Lord said, “You have heard what the unjust judge says.

Will not God, therefore, grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay in answering their pleas?

I tell you, he will grant them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

He also told the following parable to some people who prided themselves about their own righteousness and regarded others with contempt:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood up and said this prayer to himself: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and pay tithes on all my income.’

“The tax collector, however, stood some distance away and would not even raise his eyes to heaven. Rather, he kept beating his breast as he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’

This man, I tell you, returned to his home justified, whereas the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

People were bringing even infants to Jesus so that he might touch them. When the disciples observed this, they rebuked them.

However, Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. For it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

The man replied, “I have kept all these since I was a child.”

On hearing this, Jesus said to him, “You need to do one further thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when he heard this, he became sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus looked at him and said, “How difficult it is for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

He replied, “What is impossible for men is possible for God.”

Peter said to him, “We have given up our homes to follow you.”

Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

who will not receive many times as much in this age, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are now going up to Jerusalem, and everything that has been written by the Prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon.

After they have scourged him, they will put him to death, and on the third day he will rise again.”

But they understood nothing of this. Its meaning remained obscure to them, and they failed to comprehend what he was telling them.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

When he heard the crowd going past, he inquired what was happening.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

The people in front rebuked him and ordered him to be silent, but he only shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. And when he had come near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He answered, “Lord, let me receive my sight.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has made you well.”

Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people who witnessed this also gave praise to God.

Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should always pray and never lose hope.

“In a certain town there was a judge who did not respect God or care about people.

In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to this judge, saying, ‘Give me my rights against my enemy.’

For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t respect God or care about people,

I will see that she gets her rights. Otherwise she will continue to bother me until I am worn out.’”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge said.

God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.

I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?”

Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else:

“A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!’

“The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great.”

Some people brought even their babies to Jesus so he could touch them. When the followers saw this, they told them to stop.

But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children.

I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it.”

A certain leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life forever?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

You know the commands: ‘You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother.’”

But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus looked at him and said, “It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the people heard this, they asked, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus answered, “The things impossible for people are possible for God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, wives, brothers, parents, or children for the kingdom of God

will get much more in this life. And in the age that is coming, they will have life forever.”

Then Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, “We are going to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will happen.

He will be turned over to those who are evil. They will laugh at him, insult him, spit on him,

beat him with whips, and kill him. But on the third day, he will rise to life again.”

The apostles did not understand this; the meaning was hidden from them, and they did not realize what was said.

As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

When he heard the people coming down the road, he asked, “What is happening?”

They told him, “Jesus, from Nazareth, is going by.”

The blind man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The people leading the group warned the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see.”

Jesus said to him, “Then see. You are healed because you believed.”

At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.

Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.

There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,

yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says!

Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them?

I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now people were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch. But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them.

But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Now a certain leader asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

The man replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.”

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.

When Jesus noticed this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”

He replied, “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God.”

And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own to follow you!

Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom

who will not receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on.

They will flog him severely and kill him. Yet on the third day he will rise again.”

But the twelve understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what Jesus meant.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on.

They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.”

So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And those who were in front scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

So Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, let me see again.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

And immediately he regained his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they too gave praise to God.

Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said, “In a certain town there was a judge. He didn’t have any respect for God or care about what people thought.

A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him, ‘Make things right for me. Someone is treating me badly.’

“For some time the judge refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t have any respect for God. I don’t care about what people think.

But this widow keeps bothering me. So I will see that things are made right for her. If I don’t, she will someday come and attack me!’ ”

The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge says.

God’s chosen people cry out to him day and night. Won’t he make things right for them? Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, God will see that things are made right for them. He will make sure it happens quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find people on earth who have faith?”

Jesus told a story to some people who were sure they were right with God. They looked down on everyone else.

He said to them, “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed. ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood farther away than the Pharisee. He would not even look up to heaven. He brought his hand to his heart and prayed. He said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’

“I tell you, the tax collector went home accepted by God. But not the Pharisee. All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”

People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on the babies. When the disciples saw this, they told the people to stop.

But Jesus asked the children to come to him. “Let the little children come to me,” he said. “Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them.

What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.”

A certain ruler asked Jesus a question. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God.

You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ” (Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20)

“I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy,” the ruler said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You are still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. He was very rich.

Jesus looked at him. Then he said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom!

Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom!”

Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “Things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Peter said to him, “We have left everything we had in order to follow you!”

“What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus said to them. “Has anyone left home or wife or husband or brothers or sisters or parents or children for God’s kingdom?

They will receive many times as much in this world. In the world to come they will receive eternal life.”

Jesus took the 12 disciples to one side. He told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will make fun of him. They will laugh at him and spit on him.

They will whip him and kill him. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”

The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them. So they didn’t know what Jesus was talking about.

Jesus was approaching Jericho. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging.

The blind man heard the crowd going by. He asked what was happening.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

So the blind man called out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus spoke to him.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Lord, I want to be able to see,” the blind man replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.”

Right away he could see. He followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him;

they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”

‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”’

And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:

‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’

A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.

You know the commandments: “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.” ’

‘All these I have kept since I was a boy,’ he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

Those who heard this asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’

Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

Peter said to him, ‘We have left all we had to follow you!’

‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.’

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.