18Verse 1And then He told them a parable, the point being that one needs to always pray and not lose heart,Verse 2saying: “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God nor regard man.Verse 3But there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’Verse 4And for a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God nor regard man,Verse 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will defend her, so that her endless coming doesn't wear me out!’ ”Verse 6Then the Lord said: “Hear what the unjust judge said.Verse 7And will not God get justice for His elect who are crying out to Him day and night, indeed being patient with them?Verse 8I tell you that He will get justice for them quickly.+However, when the Son of the Man comes, will He actually find the faith on the earth?”+
Parable of a Pharisee and a publican
Verse 9Then He told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised the rest:Verse 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.Verse 11The Pharisee stood and started praying to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like all the rest—robbers, unjust, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.Verse 12I fast twice a week; I tithe all that I get.’+Verse 13The tax collector, staying a good ways off, did not even venture to look up to heaven, but started beating on his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’Verse 14I say to you that this one went back home justified rather than that one; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
You enter the Kingdom like a child does
Verse 15Then they even started bringing their babies to Him, that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.Verse 16But Jesus summoned them and said: “Allow the little children to come to me, and do not hinder them; because the Kingdom of God is of such.Verse 17I tell you assuredly, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God the way a little child does+will by no means enter it.”
An upright, rich ruler
Verse 18A certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”Verse 19So Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.+Verse 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and your mother.’ ”Verse 21And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”Verse 22Well upon hearing these things+Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing: sell all you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”Verse 23But when he heard this he became very sad, because he was extremely rich.+
Riches tend to keep people out of the Kingdom
Verse 24When Jesus saw that he became sad, He said: “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!+Verse 25It is actually easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle+than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”Verse 26So the hearers said, “Who then can be saved?”Verse 27And He said, “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.”Verse 28Then Peter said, “Notice that we have left all and followed you!”Verse 29So He said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,Verse 30who will not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus declares His coming death and resurrection—third time
Verse 31Then He took the Twelve aside and said to them: “Take note, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of the Man will be fulfilled:Verse 32He will be betrayed to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon,Verse 33and they will scourge and kill Him. And on the third day+He will rise again.”Verse 34But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them,+and they did not know what was being said.
A blind man near Jericho
Verse 35Then it happened, as He approached Jericho,+that a certain blind man was sitting alongside the road begging.Verse 36Hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it was.Verse 37So they told him that Jesus the Natsorean+was passing by.Verse 38Well he shouted, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Verse 39Those who led the way started reproving him, to shut him up; but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”Verse 40So Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to Him. When he got close He asked him, saying,Verse 41“What do you want me to do for you?” So he said, “Lord, that I may see again!”+Verse 42Then Jesus said to him: “See again! Your faith has made you well.”Verse 43And immediately he did! and he followed Him, glorifying God. And all who witnessed it gave praise to God.