Luke 18:9-34

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some ¹who trusted ²in themselves that they were righteous, ³and treated others with contempt:

10 "Two men ⁴went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee, ⁵standing by himself, prayed^[a]6thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 ⁷I fast twice a week; ⁸I give tithes of all that I get.'

13 But the tax collector, ⁹standing far off, ¹⁰would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but ¹¹beat his breast, saying, 'God, ¹²be merciful to me, a sinner!'

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For ¹³everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Let the Children Come to Me

15 ¹⁴Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they ¹⁵rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, ¹⁶"Let the children come to me, and ¹⁷do not hinder them, ¹⁸for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

17 ¹⁹Truly, I say to you, whoever does not ²⁰receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

The Rich Ruler

18 ²¹And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to ²²inherit eternal life?"

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

20 You know the commandments: ²³'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'"

21 And he said, ²⁴"All these I have kept from my youth."

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. ²⁵Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have ²⁶treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

23 ²⁷But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ²⁸"How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter ²⁹the kingdom of God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ³⁰the kingdom of God."

26 Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"

27 But he said, ³¹"What is impossible with men is possible with God."

28 And Peter said, "See, ³²we have left our homes and followed you."

29 And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, ³³there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers^[b] or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

30 who will not receive ³⁴many times more ³⁵in this time, and in ³⁶the age to come eternal life."

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

31 ³⁷And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, ³⁸we are going up to Jerusalem, and ³⁹everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

32 For he will be ⁴⁰delivered over to the Gentiles and will be ⁴¹mocked and shamefully treated and ⁴²spit upon.

33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on ⁴³the third day he will rise."

34 ⁴⁴But they understood none of these things. ⁴⁵This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Cross References

• 1. Luke 16:15; [Matthew 5:20]
• 2. 2 Corinthians 1:9
• 3. Proverbs 30:12; Isaiah 65:5; John 7:48, 49
• 4. 2 Kings 20:5, 8; Acts 3:1; [ver. 14]
• 5. Matthew 6:5; Mark 11:25
• 6. [Revelation 3:17]
• 7. Matthew 9:14
• 8. Luke 11:42
• 9. [See ver. 11 above]
• 10. Ezra 9:6
• 11. Luke 23:48
• 12. Psalms 79:9; Ezekiel 16:63; Daniel 9:19
• 13. See Luke 14:11
• 14. For ver. 15-17, see Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16
• 15. ver. 39
• 16. Matthew 18:3
• 17. [Mark 9:39]
• 18. Matthew 18:3
• 19. [John 3:3, 5]
• 20. [Luke 8:13; James 1:21]
• 21. For ver. 18-30, see Matthew 19:16-29; Mark 10:17-30; [Luke 10:25-28]
• 22. [Matthew 19:16]; See Matthew 25:34
• 23. Romans 13:9; Cited from Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20; [Matthew 5:21, 27]
• 24. [Philippians 3:6]
• 25. Luke 12:33; [Luke 16:9; Luke 19:8; Acts 2:45; Acts 4:34, 35; 1 Timothy 6:18, 19]
• 26. Matthew 6:19, 20
• 27. [Ezekiel 33:31]
• 28. [1 Corinthians 1:26]; See Matthew 13:22
• 29. See Matthew 12:28
• 30. [See ver. 24 above]
• 31. Luke 1:37; Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17, 27
• 32. Matthew 4:20, 22; Mark 1:18, 20
• 33. [Luke 14:26]
• 34. [Job 42:10]
• 35. [Matthew 6:33]
• 36. Matthew 12:32; Ephesians 1:21; [Luke 20:35]
• 37. For ver. 31-33, see Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34
• 38. See Luke 9:51
• 39. Psalms 22; See Matthew 1:22; Matthew 26:24
• 40. Matthew 27:2; John 18:30, 31; Acts 3:13; [Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27; Acts 21:11]
• 41. Matthew 27:26-31
• 42. Mark 14:65; Mark 15:19; See Matthew 26:67
• 43. See Luke 9:22
• 44. See Mark 9:32
• 45. Luke 9:45; [Luke 24:16]

Footnotes

• [a]. Or standing, prayed to himself
• [b]. Or wife or brothers and sisters