18:1 Then 1 Jesus 2 told them a parable to show them they should always 3 pray and not lose heart. 4 18:2 He said, 5 “In a certain city 6 there was a judge 7 who neither feared God nor respected people. 8 18:3 There was also a widow 9 in that city 10 who kept coming 11 to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For 12 a while he refused, but later on 13 he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, 14 18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out 15 by her unending pleas.’” 16 18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! 17 18:7 Won’t 18 God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out 19 to him day and night? 20 Will he delay 21 long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. 22 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith 23 on earth?”
18:9 Jesus 24 also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down 25 on everyone else. 18:10 “Two men went up 26 to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee 27 and the other a tax collector. 28 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: 29 ‘God, I thank 30 you that I am not like other people: 31 extortionists, 32 unrighteous people, 33 adulterers – or even like this tax collector. 34 18:12 I fast twice 35 a week; I give a tenth 36 of everything I get.’ 18:13 The tax collector, however, stood 37 far off and would not even look up 38 to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful 39 to me, sinner that I am!’ 40 18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified 41 rather than the Pharisee. 42 For everyone who exalts 43 himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
18:15 Now people 44 were even bringing their babies 45 to him for him to touch. 46 But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. 47 18:16 But Jesus called for the children, 48 saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God 49 belongs to such as these. 50 18:17 I tell you the truth, 51 whoever does not receive 52 the kingdom of God like a child 53 will never 54 enter it.”
18:18 Now 55 a certain ruler 56 asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 57 18:19 Jesus 58 said to him, “Why do you call me good? 59 No one is good except God alone. 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 60 18:21 The man 61 replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed 62 all these laws 63 since my youth.” 64 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have 65 and give the money 66 to the poor, 67 and you will have treasure 68 in heaven. Then 69 come, follow me.” 18:23 But when the man 70 heard this he became very sad, 71 for he was extremely wealthy. 18:24 When Jesus noticed this, 72 he said, “How hard 73 it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 74 18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 75 than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 18:26 Those who heard this said, “Then 76 who can be saved?” 77 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible 78 for mere humans 79 is possible for God.” 18:28 And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own 80 to follow you!” 81 18:29 Then 82 Jesus 83 said to them, “I tell you the truth, 84 there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers 85 or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom 18:30 who will not receive many times more 86 in this age 87 – and in the age to come, eternal life.” 88
18:31 Then 89 Jesus 90 took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, 91 and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 92 18:32 For he will be handed over 93 to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, 94 mistreated, 95 and spat on. 96 18:33 They will flog him severely 97 and kill him. Yet 98 on the third day he will rise again.” 18:34 But 99 the twelve 100 understood none of these things. This 101 saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp 102 what Jesus meant. 103
18:35 As 104 Jesus 105 approached 106 Jericho, 107 a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. 18:37 They 108 told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 18:38 So 109 he called out, 110 “Jesus, Son of David, 111 have mercy 112 on me!” 18:39 And those who were in front 113 scolded 114 him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted 115 even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 18:40 So 116 Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar 117 to be brought to him. When the man 118 came near, Jesus 119 asked him, 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, 120 “Lord, let me see again.” 121 18:42 Jesus 122 said to him, “Receive 123 your sight; your faith has healed you.” 124