Luke 18:1-8

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought ¹always to pray and not ²lose heart.

2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who ³neither feared God nor respected man.

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

4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ⁴‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

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

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

7 And ⁵will not God give justice to ⁶his elect, ⁷who cry to him day and night? ^{8 9}Will he delay long over them?

8 I tell you, he will give justice to them ¹⁰speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, ¹¹will he find faith on earth? ”

Cross References

• 1. 18:1 ch. 21:36; Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17; [ch. 11:5-9]
• 2. 18:1 2 Cor. 4:1, 16; 2 Thess. 3:13 (Gk.)
• 3. 18:2 [2 Cor. 8:21]
• 4. 18:4 [ch. 11:8]
• 5. 18:7 Rev. 6:10; [Isa. 63:4]
• 6. 18:7 Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12; Titus 1:1; See Mark 13:20
• 7. 18:7 Ps. 88:1
• 8. 18:7 James 5:7 (Gk.)
• 9. 18:7 2 Pet. 3:9
• 10. 18:8 Heb. 10:37
• 11. 18:8 ch. 17:26-30; [Matt. 24:12]