The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.f 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justiceg against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”h

6 And the Lordi said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry outj to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Mank comes,l will he find faith on the earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousnessm and looked down on everyone else,n Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray,o one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himselfp and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fastq twice a week and give a tenthr of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breasts and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’t

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”u