Luke 18:1-13

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

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

3 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.'

4 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;

5 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!'"

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

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

8 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?"

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

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

11 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!

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

13 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!'