Luke 18

Modern

Literal

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

¹Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:

¹And He was speaking a parable to them that it is necessary for them always to pray and not to grow fainthearted,

²“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.

²saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain city, not fearing God and not respecting man.

³And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

³And there was a widow in that city, and she was coming to him, saying, ‘Avenge me from my adversary.’

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

⁴And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said in himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God nor respect man,

⁵yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Otherwise, she will wear me out with her perpetual requests.’”

⁵yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will avenge her, so that coming until the end, she does not exhaust me.’”

⁶And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge.

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

⁷Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?

⁷And shall not God execute the avenging of His chosen—the ones crying out to Him day and night—and be deferring in regard to them?

⁸I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

⁸I say to you that He will execute their avenging in quickness. Nevertheless, the Son of Man having come, will He find the faith on the earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:

⁹And He also spoke this parable to some trusting in themselves that they are righteous, and despising others:

¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

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

¹¹The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed,^a ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

¹¹The Pharisee, having stood, was praying toward himself thus: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of the men—swindlers, unrighteous, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

¹²I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

¹²I fast twice in the week; I tithe all things, as many as I gain.’

¹³But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’

¹³But the tax collector, standing afar off, was not even willing to lift up the eyes to heaven, but was striking his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

¹⁴I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁴I say to you, this one went down to his house justified, rather than that one. For everyone exalting himself will be humbled, but the one humbling himself will be exalted.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

¹⁵Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁵And they were bringing the infants also to Him so that He might touch them; but having seen, the disciples were rebuking them.

¹⁶But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁶But Jesus summoned them, saying, “Permit the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of the such is the kingdom of God.

¹⁷Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

¹⁷Truly I say to you, whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall never enter into it.”

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, having done what will I inherit eternal life?”

¹⁹“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.

¹⁹But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—God.

²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”^a

²⁰You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

²¹“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.

²¹And he said, “All these I kept from my youth.”

²²On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

²²And having heard, Jesus said to him, “Still one thing to you is lacking: Sell all, as much as you have, and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow Me.”

²³But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

²³But having heard these things, he became very sorrowful; for he was exceedingly rich.

²⁴Seeing the man’s sadness,^a Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁴And Jesus, having seen him, having become sorrowful, said, “How difficultly those having riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁵Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵For it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

²⁶Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶And those having heard said, “And who is able to be saved?”

²⁷But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

²⁷And He said, “The things impossible with men are possible with God.”

²⁸“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had^a to follow You.”

²⁸And Peter said, “Behold, we, having left our own, followed You.”

²⁹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

²⁹And He said to them, “Truly I say to you that there is no one who left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

³⁰will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

³⁰who shall not receive back manifold more in this time, and in the age that is coming, eternal life.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

³¹Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

³¹And having taken aside the Twelve, He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things having been written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

³²He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

³²For He will be betrayed to the Gentiles and will be mocked and will be insulted and will be spit upon.

³³They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”

³³And having flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again.”

³⁴But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.

³⁴And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things being spoken.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

³⁵As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

³⁵And it came to pass, in His drawing near to Jericho, that a certain blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

³⁶When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

³⁶And having heard a crowd going by, he was asking what this might be.

³⁷“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.

³⁷And they told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

³⁸So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁸And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹And those going before were rebuking him, that he should be silent. But much more he was crying out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had come near, Jesus asked him,

⁴⁰And having stood, Jesus commanded him to be brought to Him. And on his having drawn near, He questioned him,

⁴¹“What do you want Me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”

⁴¹“What do you desire that I may do for you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may receive sight.”

⁴²“Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”

⁴²And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has saved you.”

⁴³Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and he was following Him, glorifying God. And all the people, having seen it, gave praise to God.