Parallel Bible results for "luke 18"

Luke 18

New Living Translation NLT

1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.

3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about 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!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.

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?

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?”

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:

10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised 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!

12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

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.’

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.”

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.

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.

17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God 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?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.

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.’ ”

21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

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.”

23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!

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!”

26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”

27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

28 Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow 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,

30 will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”

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.

32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.

33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”

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.

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.

36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.

37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by.

38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him,

41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

42 And Jesus said, “All right, 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.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit.

2 He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people.

3 A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

4 "He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think.

5 But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice - otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'"

6 Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying?

7 So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them?

8 I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"

9 He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people:

10 "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man.

11 The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man.

12 I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'

13 "Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"

14 Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

15 People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off.

16 Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy.

17 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."

18 One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?"

19 Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good - only God.

20 You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother."

21 He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember."

22 When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23 This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.

24 Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom?

25 I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than get a rich person into God's kingdom."

26 "Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked.

27 "No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."

28 Peter tried to regain some initiative: "We left everything we owned and followed you, didn't we?"

29 "Yes," said Jesus, "and you won't regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children - whatever -

30 will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!"

31 Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, "Listen carefully. We're on our way up to Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will take place.

32 He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, made sport of, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him.

33 In three days he will rise, alive."

34 But they didn't get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about.

35 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts.

36 When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on.

37 They told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is going by."

38 He yelled, "Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"

39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"

40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked,

41 "What do you want from me?" He said, "Master, I want to see again."

42 Jesus said, "Go ahead - see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!"

43 The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing - and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.