New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
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Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged.
2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
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He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.
3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
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In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.'
4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
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For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don't fear God or respect people,
5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
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but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me."
6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
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The Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.
7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
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Won't God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them?
8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
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I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?"
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
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Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust:
10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.
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"Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 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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The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I'm not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
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I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.'
13 “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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But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn't even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.'
14 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.”
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I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up."
15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
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People were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them. When the disciples saw this, they scolded them.
16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
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Then Jesus called them to him and said, "Allow the children to come to me. Don't forbid them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these children.
17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
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I assure you that whoever doesn't welcome God's kingdom like a child will never enter it."
18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
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A certain ruler asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?"
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.
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Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.
20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’ ”
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You know the commandments: Don't commit adultery. Don't murder. Don't steal. Don't give false testimony. Honor your father and mother."
21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
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Then the ruler said, "I've kept all of these things since I was a boy."
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
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When Jesus heard this, he said, "There's one more thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me."
23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
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When he heard these words, the man became sad because he was extremely rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!
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When Jesus saw this, he said, "It's very hard for the wealthy to enter God's kingdom!
25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
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It's easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom."
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”
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Those who heard this said, "Then who can be saved?"
27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
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Jesus replied, "What is impossible for humans is possible for God."
28 Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”
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Peter said, "Look, we left everything we own and followed you."
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,
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Jesus said to them, "I assure you that anyone who has left house, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, parents, or children because of God's kingdom
30 will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”
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will receive many times more in this age and eternal life in the coming age."
31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.
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Jesus took the Twelve aside and said, "Look, we're going up to Jerusalem, and everything written about the Human One by the prophets will be accomplished.
32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.
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He will be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be ridiculed, mistreated, and spit on.
33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”
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After torturing him, they will kill him. On the third day, he will rise up."
34 But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
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But the Twelve understood none of these words. The meaning of this message was hidden from them and they didn't grasp what he was saying.
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.
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As Jesus came to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the road begging.
36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.
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When the man heard the crowd passing by, he asked what was happening.
37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by.
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They told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by."
38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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The blind man shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy."
39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy."
40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him,
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Jesus stopped and called for the man to be brought to him. When he was present Jesus asked,
41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
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"What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see."
42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”
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Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you."
43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
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At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they praised God too.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible