1 He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:
2 “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect man.
3 And a widow 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 man,
5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.
7 Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them?
8 I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth? ”
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:
10 “Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee took his stand, and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth, of everything I get.’
13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest, and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me, — a sinner! ’
