Luke 18
1 [Jesus] told [his disciples] a parable to teach them that they always ought to pray confidently and not be discouraged [if God does not immediately answer their prayers].
And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth [us] always to pray, and not to faint,
2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not revere God, and did not care about people, either.
saying, 'A certain judge was in a certain city — God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding —
3 There was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Please decide what is just [in the dispute between me and] the man who is opposing me [in court!’]
and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent,
4 For a long time the judge refused [to help her]. But later he thought to himself, ‘I do not revere God and I do not care about people,
and 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,
5 but this widow keeps bothering me! So I will make sure that she is treated justly. [If I do not do that], she will exhaust me by continually coming to me!’”
yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.'
6 Then the Lord [Jesus] said, “[Even though] the judge was not a righteous man, think carefully about what he said!
And the Lord said, 'Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith:
7 [Similarly], (God will certainly show that [what you] have done has been right!/will God not show that [what you] have done has been right?) [RHQ] He will do this for you whom he has chosen. [He will do this for you] who pray earnestly to him night and day, asking him to [help you]. He may delay [helping you].
and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night — bearing long in regard to them?
8 But I tell you, [some day] he will show that what you did was right, and he will do it quickly. But when [I], the one who came from heaven, return to earth, (there may not be [many people who will still] be trusting [that I will vindicate them] (OR, who will still be trusting in me)./will there be [many people who will still] be trusting [that I will vindicate them] (OR, who will still be trusting in me)?) [RHQ]”
I 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?'
9 [Jesus] also told a parable [to warn] people who mistakenly thought that they were doing things that made them acceptable to God. Besides, they also despised other people.
And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile:
10 [He said this]: “Two men went up to the Temple [in Jerusalem] to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector.
'Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer;
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed silently, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men. [Some] extort money [from others]; some treat others unjustly; some commit adultery. [I do not do such things. And I am certainly not] like this tax collector [who cheats people]!
the 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;
12 [Our law says that we(exc) should] (fast/abstain from food) [once a week], [but I do more than that. I] fast twice a week! I give [you] ten percent of all that I earn!’
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things — as many as I possess.
13 But the tax collector stood far [from the other people in the Temple courtyard because he felt very unworthy]. He would not even look up toward heaven. Instead, he beat on his chest [to show that he was sorry for his sin]. He said, ‘God, I am a sinner; be merciful to me [and forgive me]!’”
'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!
14 [Then Jesus said], “I tell you [(pl)] that as the tax collector went home, the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}, not that of the Pharisee. [Remember this]: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled {[God] will humble all those who exalt themselves}, but those who humble themselves will be exalted {[he] will exalt those who humble themselves}.”
I 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.'
15 [One day when many people were coming to Jesus], they were also bringing small children. They wanted him to put his hands on [the children and bless them]. When the disciples saw that, they rebuked [those who were bringing those children].
And they were bringing near also the babes, that he may touch them, and the disciples having seen did rebuke them,
16 But Jesus called the children [to come to him]. He said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me! Do not stop them! It is people who are [humble and trusting] like they are who can experience God ruling [their lives].
and 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;
17 Note this: Those who do not [trust God and] allow him to direct [their lives], as children [do], will not enter the [MET] place where God rules.”
verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.'
18 A [Jewish] leader asked [Jesus], “Good teacher, what shall I do in order to have eternal life?” (aiōnios g166)
And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done — shall I inherit life age-during?' (aiōnios g166)
19 Jesus said to him, “Only God is good! No one [else] is good! (So you(sg) should consider carefully what [you are implying by] calling me good!/[Do you realize that you are implying that I am God by] calling me good?) [RHQ]
And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one [is] good, except One — God;
20 [But to answer your question], you [(sg)] know the commandments that [God gave Moses. He commanded such things as] ‘do not commit adultery, do not commit murder, do not steal, do not testify falsely [about what you have seen or heard], honor your father and mother.’”
the 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.'
21 The man said, “I have obeyed all those [commandments] ever since I was young. [So] ([there must be something else I have not done./is that enough]?)”
And he said, 'All these I did keep from my youth;'
22 When Jesus heard [him say] that, he replied to him, “There is one thing that you [(sg)] have not [done] yet. Sell all that you own. Then give [the money] to poor people. [The result will be that] you will have [spiritual] riches in heaven. Then come and be my disciple!”
and 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;'
23 The man became sad when he heard that, because he was very rich [and he did not want to give everything away].
and he, having heard these things, became very sorrowful, for he was exceeding rich.
24 Jesus looked at the man [as he left], and said, “It is very difficult for those who are wealthy [to decide] to let God rule [MET] their [lives].
And Jesus having seen him become very sorrowful, said, 'How hardly shall those having riches enter into the reign of God!
25 [You would say] that it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is [almost] as difficult [HYP] for rich people [to decide] to let God rule their [lives].”
for it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to enter, than for a rich man into the reign of God to enter.'
26 [The Jews thought that God favored rich people, so they thought that if God did not save rich people, he would not save others, either]. So [one of the disciples] who heard him say that replied, “If that is so, it seems that no one will be saved {[that God] will not save anyone} [RHQ]!”
And those who heard, said, 'And who is able to be saved?'
27 But Jesus said, “It is impossible for people [to save themselves]. But [God can save them, because] God can do anything!”
and he said, 'The things impossible with men are possible with God.'
28 Then Peter said, “[You know that we(exc) have left] everything we had and have become your disciples [RHQ]. [So what about us?] (OR, [So will God accept/save us?]”)
And Peter said, 'Lo, we left all, and did follow thee;'
29 He said to them, “Keep this in mind: Those who have left [their] homes, [their] wives, [their] brothers, [their] parents, [their] children, [or any other family members], [to tell others] about how God wants to rule [MET] [people’s lives],
and he said to them, 'Verily I say to you, that there is not one who left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the reign of God,
31 [Jesus] took the twelve [disciples] to a place by themselves and said to them, “Listen carefully! We [(inc)] are [now] going up to Jerusalem. [While we are there], everything that has been written by the prophets {that the prophets have written} about [me], the one who came from heaven, will be fulfilled {will occur}.
And having taken the twelve aside, he said unto them, 'Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be completed — that have been written through the prophets — to the Son of Man,
32 I will be put into the hands of {[My enemies] will hand me over to} non-Jews. [The non-Jews] will make fun of me and mistreat me and spit on me.
for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon,
33 They will whip me, and [then] they will kill me. But on the third day [after that] I will become alive again.”
and having scourged they shall put him to death, and on the third day he shall rise again.'
34 But [the disciples] did not understand any of those things that [he said]. They were prevented {[Something] prevented them} from understanding the meaning of what [he] was telling [them].
And they none of these things understood, and this saying was hid from them, and they were not knowing the things said.
35 As [Jesus and his disciples] came near to Jericho [city], a blind man was sitting beside the road. [He was] begging [for money].
And it came to pass, in his coming nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the way begging,
36 When he heard the crowd [of people] passing by, he asked someone, “What is happening?”
and having heard a multitude going by, he was inquiring what this may be,
37 They told him, “Jesus, [the man] from Nazareth [town], is passing by.”
and they brought him word that Jesus the Nazarene doth pass by,
38 He shouted, “Jesus, [you who are] descended from [King] David, [the Messiah], pity me!”
and he cried out, saying, 'Jesus, Son of David, deal kindly with me;'
39 Those who were [walking] at the front [of the crowd] scolded the man [and] told him to be quiet. But he shouted more loudly, “You who are descended from [King] David, [the Messiah], pity me!”
and those going before were rebuking him, that he might be silent, but he was much more crying out, 'Son of David, deal kindly with me.'
40 Jesus stopped and told [people] to bring the man to him. When [the blind man] came near, Jesus asked him,
And Jesus having stood, commanded him to be brought unto him, and he having come nigh, he questioned him,
41 “What do you [(sg)] want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, enable me to see [again]!”
saying, 'What wilt thou I shall do to thee?' and he said, 'Sir, that I may receive sight.'
42 Jesus said to him, “[Then] see! Because you have trusted [PRS] [in me], [I] have healed you!”
And Jesus said to him, 'Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee;'
43 Immediately he was able to see! And he went with [Jesus], praising God. And when all the people who were [going with Jesus] saw it, they also praised God.
and presently he did receive sight, and was following him, glorifying God; and all the people, having seen, did give praise to God.
