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Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
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“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.
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The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer : ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!
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I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
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“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’
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I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”