Luke Eighteen
He also spake to them a parable, that they
should pray always and not get weary. There was a judge in a city, who did not
fear God, and had no regard for men.
There was a widow in that city, and she
used to come to him, saying, Avenge me of
my accuser. And he would not for a long time; but afterwards
he said within himself, Though I
am not afraid of God, and have no regard for
men;
Yet because this widow troubles me, I will
avenge her, so that she may not keep coming
and annoy me. Then our Lord said, Hear what the unjust
judge said. Would not God avenge his chosen ones
much more, who call upon him day and
night, though he has patience with them? I say to you, he will avenge them promptly.
But when the Son of man comes, will he find
faith on the earth?
¶ And he said this parable against the men
who relied upon themselves that they were
righteous, and despised every man. Two men went up to the temple to pray;
one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. And the Pharisee stood by himself, and
prayed thus: O God, I thank thee, that I am
not like the rest of men, extortioners, grafters,
adulterers, and not like this publican. But I fast twice a week, and I give tithes
on everything I earn. But the publican stood afar off, and he
would not even lift up his eyes to heaven,
but smote his breast, saying, O God, be merciful
to me, I am a sinner. I say to you, that this man went down to
his house more righteous than the Pharisee.
For everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled; and everyone who humbles himself
will be exalted.
¶ They brought to him also little boys,
that he might touch them; and his disciples
saw them and rebuked them. But Jesus called them, and said to them,
Permit the children to come to me, and do
not stop them; for the kingdom of heaven is
for those who are like these. Truly I say to you, He who will not receive
the kingdom of God like a little boy
will never enter into it. A nd one of the leaders asked him and
said to him, O good Teacher, what shall I do
to inherit life everlasting? Jesus said to him, Why do you call me
good? there is no one good, except one, that
is God. You know the commandments: You shall
not kill; You shall not commit adultery; You
shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness;
Honor your father and your mother. He said to him, All these I have obeyed
from my boyhood. When Jesus heard it, he said to him, You
lack one thing; go, sell everything you have,
and give it to the poor, and you will have a
treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But when he heard these things, he felt
sad, because he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he felt sad, he
said, How difficult it is for those who have
wealth to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a rope to go through the
eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God.
Those who heard it said to him, Who
then can be saved? But Jesus said, Those things which are
impossible to men are possible to God. Simon Peter said to him, Behold we have
left everything and followed you. Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, that
there is no man who leaves houses, or parents,
or brothers, or wife, or children for the
sake of the kingdom of God, Who will not receive many times more
at this time, and in the world to come life
everlasting.
¶ Then Jesus took the twelve and said to
them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and all things which are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of man will be fulfilled. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles,
and they will mock him, and spit in his face. And they will scourge him, and curse
him, and kill him; and on the third day he
will rise again. But they understood not one of these
things; and this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know these things
which were spoken to them.
¶ And when he drew near Jericho, a blind
man was sitting by the roadside and begging. And he heard the voice of the people
passing, and asked, Who is this? They said to him, Jesus the Nazarene is
passing. And he cried and said, O Jesus, son of
David, have mercy on me. And those who were going before Jesus
rebuked him, to keep quiet; but he cried the
more, O son of David, have mercy on me. So Jesus stood still, and commanded to
call him to him; and as he came near him he
asked him, And said to him, What do you wish me
to do for you? He answered and said, My
Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said to him, See; your faith
has healed you. And he saw immediately, and followed
him, and praised God; and all the people who
saw it, gave praise to God.
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