Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then1 Jesus2 told them a parable to show them they should always3 pray and not lose heart.4 18:2 He said,5 “In a certain city6 there was a judge7 who neither feared God nor respected people.8 18:3 There was also a widow9 in that city10 who kept coming11 to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For12 a while he refused, but later on13 he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,14 18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out15 by her unending pleas.’ ”16 18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says!17 18:7 Won’t18 God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out19 to him day and night?20 Will he delay21 long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily.22 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith23 on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

18:9 Jesus24 also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down25 on everyone else. 18:10 “Two men went up26 to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee27 and the other a tax collector.28 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this:29 ‘God, I thank30 you that I am not like other people:31 extortionists,32 unrighteous people,33 adulterers—or even like this tax collector.34 18:12 I fast twice35 a week; I give a tenth36 of everything I get.’ 18:13 The tax collector, however, stood37 far off and would not even look up38 to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful39 to me, sinner that I am!’40 18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified41 rather than the Pharisee.42 For everyone who exalts43 himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus and Little Children

18:15 Now people44 were even bringing their babies45 to him for him to touch.46 But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them.47 18:16 But Jesus called for the children,48 saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God49 belongs to such as these.50 18:17 I tell you the truth,51 whoever does not receive52 the kingdom of God like a child53 will never54 enter it.”