1 And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint, 2 saying, There was a judge in a city, not fearing God and not respecting man: 3 and there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adverse party. 4 And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, If even I fear not God and respect not man, 5 at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. 7 And shall not God at all avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night, and he bears long as to them? 8 I say unto you that he will avenge them speedily. But when the Son of man comes, shall he indeed find faith on the earth? 9 And he spoke also to some, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and made nothing of all the rest [of men], this parable: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. 11 The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus to himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer. 12 I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain. 13 And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, O God, have compassion on me, the sinner. 14 I say unto you, This [man] went down to his house justified rather than that [other]. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. 15 And they brought to him also infants that he might touch them, but the disciples when they saw [it] rebuked them. 16 But Jesus calling them to [him] said, Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say to you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 18 And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good teacher, having done what, shall I inherit eternal life? 19 But Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these things have I kept from my youth. 22 And when Jesus had heard this, he said to him, One thing is lacking to thee yet: Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me. 23 But when he heard this he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 But when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How difficultly shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God; 25 for it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And those who heard it said, And who can be saved? 27 But he said, The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 And Peter said, Behold, we have left all things and have followed thee. 29 And he said to them, Verily I say to you, There is no one who has left home, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 who shall not receive manifold more at this time, and in the coming age life eternal. 31 And he took the twelve to [him] and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of man by the prophets shall be accomplished; 32 for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon. 33 And when they have scourged [him] they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again. 34 And they understood nothing of these things. And this word was hidden from them, and they did not know what was said. 35 And it came to pass when he came into the neighbourhood of Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging. 36 And when he heard the crowd passing, he inquired what this might be. 37 And they told him that Jesus the Nazaraean was passing by. 38 And he called out saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And those [who were] going before rebuked him that he might be silent; but he cried out so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be led to him. And when he drew nigh he asked him [saying], 41 What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see. 42 And Jesus said to him, See: thy faith has healed thee. 43 And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people when they saw [it] gave praise to God.
Luke 18 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (42)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 4:2; Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Philippians 4:6; Ephesians 6:18
- 2 Psalm 8:1–4; Luke 18:4; Proverbs 29:7; Ezekiel 22:6–8; Jeremiah 22:16–17
- 3 Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 5:28; Job 22:9; Deuteronomy 27:19; Luke 18:7–8
- 4 Hebrews 4:12–13; Luke 12:17; Luke 16:3
- 5 Luke 11:8; Luke 18:39; Judges 16:16; Mark 10:47–48; 2 Samuel 13:24–27
- 6 Luke 7:13
- 7 2 Peter 3:9; Hebrews 10:35–37; 1 Timothy 5:5; Luke 11:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:6
- 8 Hebrews 10:23–26; 2 Peter 3:8–9; Matthew 24:9–13; Psalm 46:5; Luke 17:26–30
- 9 Luke 16:15; Proverbs 30:12; Isaiah 65:5; Romans 10:3; Romans 14:10
- 10 Matthew 21:31–32; Acts 3:1; 2 Kings 20:5; 1 Kings 8:30; 2 Kings 20:8
- 11 Matthew 6:5; Revelation 3:17; Isaiah 65:5; Jeremiah 2:35; Mark 11:25
- 12 Luke 11:42; Matthew 23:23–24; Luke 17:10; Matthew 9:14; 1 Timothy 4:8
- 13 1 John 1:8–10; Ezra 9:6; Psalm 41:4; 1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 8:12
- 14 Luke 14:11; Luke 16:15; James 4:10; Matthew 23:12; Proverbs 29:23
- 15 Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16; 1 Samuel 1:24; Luke 9:49–50; Luke 9:54
- 16 Matthew 18:3–4; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Deuteronomy 31:12; 1 Corinthians 7:14; 1 Peter 2:2
- 17 Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Psalm 131:1–2; 1 Peter 1:14
- 18 Mark 10:17–31; Acts 16:30; Matthew 19:16–30; Luke 10:25–28; Acts 2:37
- 19 James 1:17; Job 15:14–16; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Timothy 3:16; Job 25:4
- 20 Exodus 20:12–17; Deuteronomy 5:16–21; Romans 13:9; Matthew 19:17–19; Ephesians 6:2
- 21 Philippians 3:6; Matthew 19:20–21; Mark 10:20–21; Luke 18:11–12; Luke 15:7
- 22 Luke 12:33; 1 Timothy 6:18–19; Matthew 19:21; Matthew 6:19–20; Luke 16:9
- 23 Ezekiel 33:31; 1 John 2:15; Mark 10:22; Matthew 19:22; Luke 21:34
- 24 Proverbs 11:28; Proverbs 30:9; James 2:5–7; Mark 10:23–27; Matthew 19:23–25
- 26 Luke 13:23
- 27 Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37; Job 42:2; Genesis 18:14
- 28 Philippians 3:7; Mark 10:28; Luke 5:11; Matthew 19:27; Matthew 4:19–22
- 29 Mark 10:29–31; Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 14:26–28; Matthew 19:28–30; Deuteronomy 33:9
- 30 Job 42:10; Hebrews 13:5–6; Revelation 2:17; Luke 12:31–32; Matthew 12:32
- 31 Matthew 20:17–19; Isaiah 53:1–12; Psalm 22:1–31; Mark 10:32–34; Luke 24:44–46
- 32 Luke 23:11; Isaiah 53:3; Isaiah 50:6; Acts 3:13; Mark 14:65
- 33 Luke 24:7; Luke 24:21; Matthew 16:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Matthew 27:63
- 34 Luke 9:45; Mark 9:32; Luke 2:50; John 12:16; John 16:1–19
- 35 Matthew 20:29–34; John 9:8; Luke 16:20–21; Mark 10:46–52; 1 Samuel 2:8
- 36 Matthew 21:10–11; Luke 15:26
- 37 Matthew 2:23; John 1:45; John 19:19; John 12:35–36; Acts 4:10
- 38 Matthew 9:27; Luke 18:39; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 21:9; Romans 1:3
- 39 Genesis 32:26–28; Psalm 141:1; Luke 11:8–10; Matthew 26:40–44; Luke 18:15
- 40 Mark 10:48–52; Matthew 20:31–34
- 41 1 Kings 3:5–15; Romans 8:25; Matthew 20:21–22; Philippians 4:6
- 42 Luke 8:48; Matthew 8:3; Matthew 9:22; Luke 17:19; Psalm 33:9
- 43 Psalm 146:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:10–12; Acts 11:18; Psalm 103:1–3; Luke 4:39
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The lesson of the Holy Gospel builds us up unto the duty of praying and believing, and of not putting our trust in ourselves, but in the Lord. What greater encouragement to prayer than the parable which is proposed to us of the unjust judge?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
And to the person who said to Him, "Good Master," He confessed that God who is truly good, saying, "Why callest thou Me good: there is One who is good, the Father in the heavens;" and they assert that in this passage the Æons receive the name of heavens.
It were well for him to imitate the Publican, and not swell as the Pharisee, "who went up into the temple," and boasted of his deserts, and covered up his wounds.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For instance, to them that strip themselves of all that they have for His sake He promised to give an hundred fold in the present world, and life eternal in that which is to come; by the things already given making the future also credible.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The eighth passage is, That they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent; and There is none good save one, that is, God. The solution of this appears to me very easy.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)