Luke 18:1-13 ▼

1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.

3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’

4 And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’”

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.

7 Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”

9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

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

11 The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’