Luke 18 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

Luk 18:1

Luk 18:1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luk 18:2

Luk 18:2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

Luk 18:3

Luk 18:3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

Luk 18:4

Luk 18:4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

Luk 18:5

Luk 18:5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”

Luk 18:6

Luk 18:6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

Luk 18:7

Luk 18:7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

Luk 18:8

Luk 18:8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luk 18:9

Luk 18:9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Luk 18:10

Luk 18:10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Luk 18:11

Luk 18:11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[fn] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Luk 18:12

Luk 18:12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Luk 18:13

Luk 18:13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

Luk 18:14

Luk 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let the Children Come to Me

(Mat 19:13–15; Mar 10:13–16 )

Luk 18:15

Luk 18:15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Luk 18:16

Luk 18:16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Luk 18:17

Luk 18:17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler

(Mat 19:16–22; Mar 10:17–22 )

Luk 18:18

Luk 18:18And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luk 18:19

Luk 18:19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Luk 18:20

Luk 18:20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”

Luk 18:21

Luk 18:21And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Luk 18:22

Luk 18:22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Luk 18:23

Luk 18:23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

(Mat 19:23–30; Mar 10:23–31 )

Luk 18:24

Luk 18:24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

Luk 18:25

Luk 18:25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luk 18:26

Luk 18:26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

Luk 18:27

Luk 18:27But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Luk 18:28

Luk 18:28And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

Luk 18:29

Luk 18:29And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers[fn] or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

Luk 18:30

Luk 18:30who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

(Mat 20:17–19; Mar 10:32–34 )

Luk 18:31

Luk 18:31And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.

Luk 18:32

Luk 18:32For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.

Luk 18:33

Luk 18:33And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

Luk 18:34

Luk 18:34But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

(Mat 20:29–34; Mar 10:46–52 )

Luk 18:35

Luk 18:35As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

Luk 18:36

Luk 18:36And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.

Luk 18:37

Luk 18:37They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

Luk 18:38

Luk 18:38And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Luk 18:39

Luk 18:39And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Luk 18:40

Luk 18:40And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him,

Luk 18:41

Luk 18:41“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

Luk 18:42

Luk 18:42And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Luk 18:43

Luk 18:43And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(18:11)

Or standing, prayed to himself

(18:29)

Or wife or brothers and sisters

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For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.