3
"There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legalprotection from my opponent.'
4
"For a while he was unwilling*; but afterward* he said to himself, 'Eventhough I do not fearGodnor1respectman,
5
yet2becausethiswidowbothers* me, I will give her legalprotection, otherwise* by continually*coming she will 3wear me out.' "
6
And 4the Lordsaid, "Hearwhat the unrighteousjudgesaid;
7
now, will not God5bringaboutjustice for His 6elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He 7delaylongover them?
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"I tell you that He will bringaboutjustice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Mancomes, 8will He findfaith on the earth?"
The Pharisee and the Publican
9 And He alsotoldthisparable to somepeople who 9trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and 10viewedothers with contempt:
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"Twomen11went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a taxcollector.
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"The Pharisee12stood and was prayingthis to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not likeotherpeople: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, orevenlikethistaxcollector.
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'I 13fasttwice a week; I 14paytithes of all that I get.'
13
"But the taxcollector, 15standingsomedistanceaway, 16was evenunwilling* to lift up his eyes to heaven, but 17was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'