Luke 18:5-16

⁵yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will help her get justice, so that she does not wear me out by her constant coming.'”

⁶Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.

⁷Now will not God also bring justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

⁸I say to you that he will bring justice to them speedily. Even so, when the Son of Man comes, will he indeed find faith on the earth?”

⁹Then he also spoke this parable to some who were persuaded in themselves that they were righteous and who despised other people,

¹⁰“Two men went up into the temple to pray—the one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed these things about himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

¹²I fast two times every week. I give tithes of all that I get.'

¹³But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but hit his breast, saying, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

¹⁴I say to you, this man went back down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁵The people were also bringing to him their infants so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

¹⁶But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Permit the little children to come to me, and do not forbid them. For the kingdom of God belongs to such ones.