Luke 18:1–23

¹And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth us always to pray, and not to faint, ²saying, ‘A certain judge was in a certain city—God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding— ³and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent, ⁴and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard, ⁵yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.’ ⁶And the Lord said, ‘Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith: ⁷and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night—bearing long in regard to them? ⁸I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?’

⁹And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile: ¹⁰‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer; ¹¹the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer; ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things—as many as I possess.

¹³‘And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me—the sinner! ¹⁴I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.’

¹⁵And they were bringing near also the babes, that he may touch them, and the disciples having seen did rebuke them, ¹⁶and Jesus having called them near, said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God; ¹⁷verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.’

¹⁸And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, ‘Good teacher, what having done—shall I inherit life age-during?’ ¹⁹And Jesus said to him, ‘Why me dost thou call good? no one is good, except One—God; ²⁰the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.’ ²¹And he said, ‘All these I did keep from my youth;’ ²²and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, ‘Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things—as many as thou hast—sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;’ ²³and he, having heard these things, became very sorrowful, for he was exceeding rich.