| 1 | Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to
[a]turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). |
| 2 | He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced
and
feared God nor respected
or
considered man. |
| 3 | And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect
and
defend
and
give me justice against my adversary. |
| 4 | And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence
or
fear for God nor respect
or
consideration for man, |
| 5 | Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend
and
protect
and
avenge her, lest she give me
[b]intolerable annoyance
and
wear me out by her continual coming
or
[c]at the last she come and rail on me
or
[d]assault me
or
[e]strangle me. |
| 6 | Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says! |
| 7 | And will not [our just] God defend
and
protect
and
avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He
[f]defer them
and
[g]delay help on their behalf? |
| 8 | I tell you, He will defend
and
protect
and
avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [
[h]persistence in] faith on the earth? |
| 9 | He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves
and
were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned
and
made nothing of all the rest of men: |
| 10 | Two men went up into the temple [
[i]enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. |
| 11 | The Pharisee
[j]took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before
and
with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers—or even like this tax collector here. |
| 12 | I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain. |
| 13 | But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the
[k]especially wicked sinner that I am! |
| 14 | I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. |
| 15 | Now they were also bringing [even] babies to Him that He might touch them, and when the disciples noticed it, they reproved them. |
| 16 | But Jesus called them [
[l]the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God. |
| 17 | Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept
and
receive
and
welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all]. |
| 18 | And a certain ruler asked Him, Good Teacher [You who are
[m]essentially and perfectly
[n]morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]? |
| 19 | Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [
[o]essentially and perfectly
[p]morally] good? No one is [
[q]essentially and perfectly
[r]morally] good—except God only. |
| 20 | You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not witness falsely, honor your father and your mother. |
| 21 | And he replied, All these I have kept from my youth. |
| 22 | And when Jesus heard it, He said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and
[s]divide [the money] among the poor, and you will have [rich] treasure in heaven; and come back [and] follow Me [become My disciple, join My party, and accompany Me]. |
| 23 | But when he heard this, he became distressed
and
very sorrowful, for he was rich—exceedingly so. |
| 24 | Jesus, observing him, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! |
| 25 | For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle’s eye than [for] a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. |
| 26 | And those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? |
| 27 | But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God. |
| 28 | And Peter said, See, we have left our own [things—home, family, and business] and have followed You. |
| 29 | And He said to them, I say to you truly, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God |
| 30 | Who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life. |
| 31 | Then taking the Twelve [apostles] aside, He said to them, Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written about the Son of Man through
and
by the prophets will be fulfilled. |
| 32 | For He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be made sport of
and
scoffed
and
jeered at and insulted and spit upon. |
| 33 | They will flog Him and kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again. |
| 34 | But they understood nothing of these things; His words were a mystery
and
hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was telling them. |
| 35 | As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. |
| 36 | And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant. |
| 37 | They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. |
| 38 | And he shouted, saying, Jesus, Son of David, take pity
and
have mercy on me! |
| 39 | But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep quiet; yet he
[t]screamed
and
shrieked so much the more, Son of David, take pity
and
have mercy on me! |
| 40 | Then Jesus stood still and ordered that he be led to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, |
| 41 | What do you want Me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me receive my sight! |
| 42 | And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith (
[u]your trust and confidence that spring from your faith in God) has healed you. |
| 43 | And instantly he received his sight and began to follow Jesus,
[v]recognizing, praising,
and
honoring God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God. |
Cross references:
-
Luke 18:20 : Exod. 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20.
-
Luke 18:27 : Gen. 18:14; Jer. 32:17.
-
Luke 18:31 : Isa. 53:1-12.
-
Luke 18:32 : Isa. 50:6.
-
Luke 18:33 : Ps. 16:10.
|