Luke 18:1-17

Parables on Prayer

1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ¹ought to pray and not to ²lose heart,

2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not ³respect man.

3 "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.'

4 "For a while he was unwilling *; but afterward * he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor ⁴respect man,

5 yet ⁵because this widow bothers * me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise * by continually * coming she will ⁶wear me out.' "

6 And ⁷the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said;

7 now, will not God ⁸bring about justice for His ⁹elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He ¹⁰delay long over them?

8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, ¹¹will He find faith on the earth?"

The Pharisee and the Publican

9 And He also told this parable to some people who ¹²trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and ¹³viewed others with contempt:

10 "Two men ¹⁴went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 "The Pharisee ¹⁵stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 'I ¹⁶fast twice a week; I ¹⁷pay tithes of all that I get.'

13 "But the tax collector, ¹⁸standing some distance away, ¹⁹was even unwilling * to lift up his eyes to heaven, but ²⁰was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; ²¹for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

15 ²²And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

16 But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

17 "Truly I say to you, ²³whoever * does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

Cross References

• 1. Luke 11:5-10
• 2. 2 Corinthians 4:1
• 3. Luke 18:4; Luke 20:13; Hebrews 12:9
• 4. Luke 18:2; Luke 20:13; Hebrews 12:9
• 5. Luke 11:8
• 6. 1 Corinthians 9:27
• 7. Luke 7:13
• 8. Revelation 6:10
• 9. Matthew 24:22; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1
• 10. 2 Peter 3:9
• 11. Luke 17:26f
• 12. Luke 16:15
• 13. Romans 14:3, 10
• 14. 1 Kings 10:5; 2 Kings 20:5, 8; Acts 3:1
• 15. Matthew 6:5; Mark 11:25; Luke 22:41
• 16. Matthew 9:14
• 17. Luke 11:42
• 18. Matthew 6:5; Mark 11:25; Luke 22:41
• 19. Ezra 9:6
• 20. Luke 23:48
• 21. Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11
• 22. Luke 18:15-17: {Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16}
• 23. Matthew 18:3; Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:15; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 Peter 2:2

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "Do me justice"
• [b] Lit "do her justice"
• [c] Lit "hit me under the eye"
• [d] Or "and yet He is very patient toward them"
• [e] Lit "the faith"
• [f] Or "propitious"