Luke 18

Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray^(A) always and not give up.^{(B) 2} “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God^(C) or respect people. ³ And a widow^(D) in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps^(E) pestering me,^[a] I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out^[b] by her persistent coming.’”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ Will not God grant justice^(F) to his elect^(G) who cry out to him day and night?^(H) Will he delay^(I) helping them?^{[c] 8} I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,^(J) will he find faith on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ He^(K) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves^(L) that they were righteous^(M) and looked down^(N) on everyone else: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray,^(O) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee was standing^(P) and praying like this about himself: ^[d] ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy,^(Q) unrighteous,^(R) adulterers,^(S) or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast^(T) twice a week; I give a tenth^[e](U) of everything I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector, standing far off,^(V) would not even raise his eyes to heaven^(W) but kept striking his chest^(X) and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me,^[f](Y) a sinner!’ ^{(Z) 14} I tell you, this one went down to his house justified^(AA) rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”^(AB)

Blessing the Children

¹⁵ People^(AC) were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me,^(AD) and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Truly I tell you,^(AE) whoever does not receive^(AF) the kingdom of God like a little child^(AG) will never enter it.”

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸ A^(AH) ruler^(AI) asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^(AJ)

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”^[g](AK)

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

²² When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor,^(AL) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(AM) Then come, follow me.”^(AN)

²³ After he heard this, he became extremely sad,^(AO) because he was very rich.

Possessions and the Kingdom

²⁴ Seeing that he became sad,^[h] Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For 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 asked, “Then who can be saved?” ^(AP)

²⁷ He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”^(AQ)

²⁸ Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed^(AR) you.”

²⁹ So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more at this time,^(AS) and eternal life in the age to come.”

The Third Prediction of His Death

³¹ Then^(AT) he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem.^(AU) Everything that is written^(AV) through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.^{(AW) 32} For he will be handed over to the Gentiles,^(AX) and he will be mocked,^(AY) insulted, spit^(AZ) on; ³³ and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”^(BA)

³⁴ They understood none of these things.^(BB) The meaning of the saying^[i](BC) was hidden^(BD) from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

A Blind Man Receives His Sight

³⁵ As^(BE) he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. ³⁶ Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. ³⁷ “Jesus of Nazareth^(BF) is passing by,” they told him.

³⁸ So he called out,^(BG) “Jesus, Son of David,^(BH) have mercy^(BI) on me!” ³⁹ Then those in front told him to keep quiet,^[j] but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”

⁴² “Receive your sight,”^(BJ) Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.”^{(BK) 43} Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God.^(BL) All the people,^(BM) when they saw it, gave praise to God.