Luke 18:1-13 ▼

1 And He also spoke an allegory to them, that it is always necessary to pray and not to faint,

2 saying, “A certain judge was in a certain city—he is not fearing God, and he is not regarding man—

3 and a widow was in that city, and she was coming to him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent,

4 and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if I do not fear God, and do not regard man,

5 yet because this widow gives me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, continuously coming, she may bruise me.”

6 And the LORD said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says:

7 and will God not execute justice to His chosen ones, who are crying to Him day and night—bearing long in regard to them?

8 I say to you that He will execute justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, will He find faith on the earth?”

9 And He also spoke to some who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this allegory:

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

11 the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank You that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector;

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things—as many as I possess.

13 And the tax collector, having stood far off, would not even lift up the eyes to the sky, but was striking on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me—the sinner!