Luke 18

Jesus told them a story to make a point: people should always keep praying and never give up.

1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

NoteThe King James "not to faint" does not mean fainting in the sense of passing out. In 1611 the word meant losing heart or giving up under strain, which is what the Greek says here.

2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who was not afraid of God and did not care what people thought of him.

2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

NoteIn a town of this size a single judge heard cases alone, with no jury. The two things said about him, that he did not fear God and did not care what people thought, remove both of the checks that normally restrained such a man: religious scruple and public reputation.

3In that same city there was a widow. She kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against the man who is against me.'

3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

Note"Avenge me of mine adversary" is legal language, not revenge. She is asking the court to rule in her favor against the other party in a lawsuit. A widow in this world usually had no man to speak for her and little standing to press a claim, which is why the Hebrew scriptures repeatedly command judges to protect widows; a judge who ignored one was ignoring a well known duty.

4For a while he refused. But later he said to himself, 'I am not afraid of God, and I do not care what people think of me.

4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5Still, this widow keeps bothering me. So I will give her justice, or she will wear me out by coming to me again and again.'"

5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

NoteThe Greek word behind "weary me" is a boxing term meaning to strike under the eye, that is, to give someone a black eye. It is used here as an exaggeration for wearing a person down, the way we might say she will beat me into the ground.

6Then the Lord said, "Listen to what that unfair judge said.

6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7Will God not give justice to his chosen people, who call out to him day and night? Will he keep putting off their help?

7And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

Note"His own elect" means the people God has chosen for himself. The last clause is genuinely disputed in the Greek and can be read either as "and yet he is patient over them" or as "while he keeps delaying over them." The rendering keeps it as a question about delay, but the other reading is possible.

8I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Note"Son of man" is the phrase Jesus most often uses of himself in the Gospels. In ordinary Aramaic it can mean simply "a human being," but it also points to a figure in the book of Daniel who is given lasting authority over all peoples, and the New Testament writers use it in that heavier sense.

9Jesus also told this story to some people who were sure they were good and right, and who looked down on everyone else.

9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10"Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, a man very careful about keeping the religious rules. The other was a tax collector.

10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

NoteThe temple stood on a raised platform in Jerusalem, so people always spoke of "going up" to it. A Pharisee belonged to a movement devoted to strict and detailed observance of the Jewish law; Pharisees were widely respected as serious, careful, religious men. A "publican" in the King James is not an innkeeper. He is a tax collector, a Jew who had contracted to collect taxes for the Roman occupiers and who typically took a cut by overcharging. Such men were despised as both collaborators and thieves.

11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed like this: 'God, thank you that I am not like other men, who cheat people, do wrong, and are unfaithful to their wives. Thank you that I am not like this tax collector.

11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

NoteThe Greek of "stood and prayed thus with himself" is ambiguous and can mean either that he stood off by himself to pray or that he prayed silently, to himself. "Extortioners" are people who take money by threat or fraud, and "unjust" means dishonest in dealings generally.

12I go without food twice a week, and I give away a tenth of everything I get.'

12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

NoteThe law required a general fast on only one day a year, the Day of Atonement. Fasting twice a week, commonly Mondays and Thursdays, was a voluntary extra. A tithe was the tenth part of crops and produce owed under the law; paying a tenth of everything he acquires, including goods already tithed by the seller, goes beyond what was required.

13But the tax collector stood far off. He would not even look up toward the sky. He beat his chest and said, 'God, be merciful to me. I am a sinner.'

13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

NoteStanding at a distance keeps him away from the inner courts. The usual posture for prayer was standing with the eyes lifted, so refusing to look up marks shame. Beating the chest was a gesture of grief and self reproach. The Greek of his prayer is closer to "be favorable toward me" and uses a word associated with atonement, and he says "the sinner," as though he were the only one.

14I tell you, this man went home right with God, and the other man did not. Everyone who lifts himself up will be brought low, and whoever makes himself low will be lifted up."

14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Note"Justified" is a courtroom word: to be declared in the right, acquitted. "Abased" simply means brought low or humbled.

15People were also bringing their babies to Jesus so he would touch them. When his disciples saw it, they told the people to stop.

15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

NoteParents brought children to a respected teacher so that he would lay hands on them and bless them. The disciples' rebuke is aimed at the adults doing the bringing, not at the babies.

16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me. Do not stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people like them.

16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Note"Suffer little children to come unto me" uses "suffer" in its old sense of allow or let. It has nothing to do with pain.

17I tell you the truth: anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God the way a little child does will never enter it."

17Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Note"Verily" means truly, and "in no wise" means by no means, not in any way. Jesus's "verily" translates the Hebrew word amen, used here at the start of a sentence to mark what follows as weighty.

18A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"

18And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

NoteThe word translated "ruler" means a man holding official position, such as a leader of a synagogue or a member of a governing council; Luke does not say which. "Master" in the King James normally means teacher, not owner. "Inherit eternal life" borrows the language of receiving a family estate, and "eternal life" means the life of the age to come.

19Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

19And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

20You know the commandments: do not be unfaithful to your wife or husband, do not murder, do not steal, do not lie about others in court, honor your father and your mother."

20Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

NoteThese are five of the Ten Commandments, the ones dealing with how people treat each other. "Bear false witness" specifically means giving false testimony in a legal case, where a lie could cost someone property or life.

21The man said, "I have kept all of these since I was young."

21And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

NoteA Jewish boy was held responsible for keeping the commandments from about the age of thirteen, so "from my youth up" claims a lifetime of observance, not a vague general goodness.

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing you lack. Sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."

22Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Note"Treasure in heaven" was a familiar expression in Jewish teaching for wealth stored where it cannot be stolen or lost, and giving to the poor was the standard way of describing how it was deposited there.

23When the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

24When Jesus saw that he was very sad, he said, "How hard it is for people who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

Note"How hardly" means how hard it is, with what difficulty. It does not mean harshly.

25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

NoteThe Greek word is an ordinary sewing needle, and the saying is a deliberate exaggeration setting the largest animal people knew against the smallest opening. The popular explanation that "the needle's eye" was a narrow gate in Jerusalem has no ancient evidence behind it and appears only many centuries later.

26The people who heard this said, "Then who can be saved?"

26And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

NoteThe shock in the question comes from a common assumption of the time that wealth was a mark of God's favor. If those apparently most blessed were at a disadvantage, the hearers could not see who was left.

27He said, "What is impossible for people is possible for God."

27And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

28Then Peter said, "Look, we have left everything we had and followed you."

28Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

Note"Lo" is just an old way of saying "look" or "see here." Peter and his partners had a fishing business, so "we have left all" means a working livelihood, not merely possessions.

29Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth: no one has left home, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

29And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

30who will not receive many times as much in this present time, and in the age to come, eternal life."

30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Note"The world to come" translates a word meaning age or era, not planet. The contrast is between the present period of history and the one expected to follow it.

31Then Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, "Listen, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

31Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

Note"We go up to Jerusalem" is the standard idiom: Jerusalem sits high in the hill country, so people spoke of going up to it from any direction. "The twelve" are the twelve disciples Jesus had chosen as his closest followers.

32He will be handed over to the Gentiles, the people who are not Jews. They will make fun of him, treat him cruelly, and spit on him.

32For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

Note"Gentiles" means anyone not Jewish; here it points to the Roman authorities. "Spitefully entreated" uses "entreat" in its old sense of treat or handle, so it means treated shamefully, not begged. "Spitted on" is simply an older past form of spat on; spitting in a person's face was a public insult.

33They will beat him with a whip and kill him. And on the third day he will rise again."

33And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Note"Scourge" means flogging with a whip, a standard Roman punishment that preceded execution and could itself be lethal. "The third day" is counted inclusively in this way of reckoning, so the day of death counts as the first.

34The disciples did not understand any of this. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he was saying.

34And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

35As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

35And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

NoteJericho lay in the Jordan valley about fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem, on the route pilgrims took up to the city for festivals, which explains the crowd. A blind man had no way to earn a living, so begging beside a busy road was the only option open to him.

36He heard the crowd going past, so he asked what was happening.

36And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

37And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

38So he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

38And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

Note"Son of David" was a title for the promised king descended from David who was expected to restore Israel. Shouting it at Jesus in a festival crowd was a public claim about who he was, which is part of why the people ahead tried to silence the man.

39The people walking ahead told him sharply to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him,

40And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

41"What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see again."

41Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42Jesus said to him, "See again. Your faith has healed you."

42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

NoteThe Greek verb behind "thy faith hath saved thee" carries both senses at once: to rescue or save, and to heal or make whole. English has to pick one; the original does not.

43At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people who saw it praised God too.

43And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.