Bible Time

¹HE also spoke to them a parable, that they should pray always and not get weary. ²There was a judge in a city, who neither feared God nor regarded men. ³And there was a widow in that city who used to come to him, saying, Avenge me of my accuser. ⁴And he would not for a long time; but afterwards he said inside himself, Though I am not afraid of God and have no regard for men; ⁵Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, so that she may not keep coming and annoying me. ⁶Then our Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷Would God not avenge his chosen ones much more, who call on him day and night and he has patience with them? ⁸I say to you, he will avenge them promptly. But when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

⁹And he spoke this parable against the men who relied on themselves, that they were righteous, and despised every other man: ¹⁰2 men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. ¹¹And the Pharisee stood by himself, and prayed thus: Oh God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, grafters, adulterers, and not like this tax collector. ¹²But I fast twice a week, and I give tithes on everything I earn. ¹³But the tax collector stood far away, and he would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but struck his breast, saying, Oh God, be merciful to me a sinner. ¹⁴I say to you that this man went down to his house more righteous than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

¹⁵They also brought to him little children, that he might touch them; and his disciples saw them and rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them, and said to them, Permit the children to come to me, and do not stop them; for the kingdom of heaven is for those who are like these. ¹⁷Truly I say to you, He who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter into it.

¹⁸And one of the leaders asked him, saying, Oh good Teacher, what should I do to inherit life everlasting? ¹⁹Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? There is no one good but one, that is God. ²⁰You know the commandments: You will not kill; You will not commit adultery; You will not steal; You will not bear false witness; Honor your father and your mother. ²¹He said to him, All these I have obeyed from my boyhood. ²²When Jesus heard it, he said to him, You lack one thing; go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. ²³But when he heard these things, he felt sad, because he was very rich.

²⁴And when Jesus saw that he felt sad, he said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁵It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶Those who heard it said to him, Who then can be saved? ²⁷But Jesus said, Things impossible to men are possible to God.

²⁸Simon Peter said to him, Look, we have left everything and followed you. ²⁹Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you that there is no man who leaves houses or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰Who will not receive many times more at this time and in the world to come life everlasting.

³¹Then Jesus took the 12 and said to them, Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things written by the prophets concerning the Son of man will be fulfilled. ³²For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and they will mock him and spit in his face. ³³And they will scourge him and curse him and kill him; and on the 3rd day he will rise again. ³⁴But they understood not one of these things; and this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know these things which were spoken to them.

³⁵And when he drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside and begging. ³⁶And he heard the voice of the people passing, and asked, Who is this? ³⁷They said to him, Jesus the Nazarene is passing. ³⁸And he cried, saying, Oh Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. ³⁹And those who were going before Jesus rebuked him, telling him to keep quiet; but be cried even more, Oh son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁰So Jesus stood still, and commanded them to call him to him; and as he came near he asked him, ⁴¹Saying, What do you wish me to do for you? He answered, My Lord, that I may see. ⁴²And Jesus said to him, See; your faith has healed you. ⁴³And he saw immediately, and followed him praising God; and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.