1 J esus told them a picture-story to show that men should always pray and not give up.

Also told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).

2 H e said, “There was a man in one of the cities who was head of the court. His work was to say if a person was guilty or not. This man was not afraid of God. He did not respect any man.

He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man.

3 I n that city there was a woman whose husband had died. She kept coming to him and saying, ‘Help me! There is someone who is working against me.’

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 F or awhile he would not help her. Then he began to think, ‘I am not afraid of God and I do not respect any man.

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 B ut I will see that this woman whose husband has died gets her rights because I get tired of her coming all the time.’”

Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me.

6 T hen the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the sinful man who is head of the court.

Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says!

7 W ill not God make the things that are right come to His chosen people who cry day and night to Him? Will He wait a long time to help them?

And will not God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

8 I tell you, He will be quick to help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? ” The Picture-Story of the Proud Religious Law-Keepers and the Tax-Gatherers

I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find '> persistence in] faith on the earth?

9 J esus told another picture-story to some people who trusted in themselves and thought they were right with God. These people did not think well of other men.

He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men:

10 J esus said, “Two men went up to the house of God to pray. One of them was a proud religious law-keeper. The other was a man who gathered taxes.

Two men went up into the temple '> enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 T he proud religious law-keeper stood and prayed to himself like this, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men. I am not like those who steal. I am not like those who do things that are wrong. I am not like those who do sex sins. I am not even like this tax-gatherer.

The Pharisee 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, adulterers—or even like this tax collector here.

12 I go without food two times a week so I can pray better. I give one-tenth part of the money I earn.’

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain.

13 B ut the man who gathered taxes stood a long way off. He would not even lift his eyes to heaven. But he hit himself on his chest and said, ‘God, have pity on me! I am a sinner!’

But the tax collector, 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 especially wicked sinner that I am!

14 I tell you, this man went back to his house forgiven, and not the other man. For whoever makes himself look more important than he is will find out how little he is worth. Whoever does not try to honor himself will be made important.” Jesus Gives Thanks for Little Children

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 P eople took their little children to Jesus so He could put His hand on them. When His followers saw it, they spoke sharp words to the people.

Now they were also bringing babies to Him that He might touch them, and when the disciples noticed it, they reproved them.

16 J esus called the followers to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me. Do not try to stop them. The holy nation of God is made up of ones like these.

But Jesus called them '> the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

17 F or sure, I tell you, whoever does not receive the holy nation of God as a child will not go into the holy nation.” Jesus Teaches about Keeping the Law

Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child shall not in any way enter it.

18 A leader of the people asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?”

And a certain ruler asked Him, Good Teacher '> essentially and perfectly morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?

19 J esus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? There is only One Who is good. That is God.

Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me '> essentially and perfectly morally] good? No one is '> essentially and perfectly morally] good—except God only.

20 Y ou know the Laws. You must not do any sex sins. You must not kill another person. You must not steal. You must not tell a lie about someone else. Respect your father and your mother.”

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 T he leader said, “I have obeyed all these Laws since I was a boy.”

And he replied, All these I have kept from my youth.

22 W hen Jesus heard this, He said to the leader of the people, “There is still one thing you need to do. Sell everything you have. Give the money to poor people. Then you will have riches in heaven. Come and follow Me.”

And when Jesus heard it, He said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and divide among the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come back follow Me.

23 W hen the leader heard this, he was very sad because he had many riches.

But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful, for he was rich—exceedingly so.

24 W hen Jesus saw that he was very sad, He said, “It is hard for those with riches to go into the holy nation of God!

Jesus, observing him, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

25 I t is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the holy nation of God.”

For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle’s eye than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

26 T hose who heard this, said, “Then who can be saved from the punishment of sin?”

And those who heard it said, Then who can be saved?

27 J esus said, “God can do things men cannot do.”

But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God.

28 T hen Peter said, “See, we have left everything and have followed You.”

And Peter said, See, we have left our own and have followed You.

29 J esus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, anyone who has left his house or parents or brothers or wife or children because of the holy nation of God

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 w ill receive much more now. In the time to come he will have life that lasts forever.” Jesus Tells of His Death the Third Time

Who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life.

31 T hen Jesus took the twelve followers to one side and said, “See! We are going up to Jerusalem. All the things the early preachers wrote about the Son of Man are going to happen.

Then taking the Twelve 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 H e will be given over to the people who are not Jews. He will be made fun of. He will be hurt. He will be spit on.

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 T hey will beat Him and kill Him. After three days He will be raised again.”

They will flog Him and kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again.

34 T he followers did not understand these words. The meaning of these words was hidden from them. They did not know what He said. Healing of the Blind Man

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 J esus was coming near Jericho. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road, begging.

As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

36 H e heard many people going by and asked what was happening.

And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant.

37 T hey told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by.

They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

38 T hen he cried out and said, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

And he shouted, saying, Jesus, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!

39 T he people spoke sharp words to him and told him not to call out. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”

But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep quiet; yet he screamed and shrieked so much the more, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!

40 J esus stopped and told the people to bring the blind man to Him. When the man was near, Jesus asked,

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 answered, “Lord, I want to see.”

What do you want Me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me receive my sight!

42 J esus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has healed you.”

And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith ( your trust and confidence that spring from your faith in God) has healed you.

43 A t once he could see. He followed Jesus and gave thanks to God. All the people gave thanks to God when they saw it.

And instantly he received his sight and began to follow Jesus, recognizing, praising, and honoring God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.