2 ARST He said,“In a certain city there was a judge who did not revere God and did not care about people. BSB BSB: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.
3 ARST There was a widow in that city who kept coming to that judge, saying,‘Please get justice for me against the man who is opposing me in court.’ BSB BSB: And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4 ARST For a long time the judge refused to help her. But later, he said to himself,‘I do not revere God and I do not care about people. BSB BSB: For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,
5 ARST But this widow keeps bothering me! So I will judge her case and make sure she is treated fairly. I am concerned that if I do not do that, she will exhaust me by continually coming to me!’” BSB BSB: yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Otherwise, she will wear me out with her perpetual requests.’”
6 ARST Then Jesus said,“Think carefully about what the unjust judge said. BSB BSB: And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge.
7 ARST { Even more} certainly will God{, who is just,} bring about justice for his chosen people, who pray earnestly to him all day long! And he is always patient with them. BSB BSB: Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?
8 ARST I tell you, God will quickly bring about justice for his chosen ones! Nevertheless when I, the Son of Man, come back to earth, there will still be many people who do not believe in me.” BSB BSB: I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
10 ARST { He said,}“Two men went up to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. One of the men was a Pharisee. The other man was someone who collected taxes from the people for the Roman government. BSB BSB: “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 ARST The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself in this way,‘O God, I thank you that I am not like other people. Some steal money from others. Some treat others unjustly. Some commit adultery. I do not do any of those things. And I am certainly not like this sinful tax collector who cheats people! BSB BSB: The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 ARST I fast on two days during every week, and I give ten percent of all that I earn to the temple!’ BSB BSB: I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13 ARST But the tax collector stood far away from the other people in the temple courtyard. He would not even look up toward heaven. Instead, he beat on his chest and said,‘O God, please forgive me, because I am a terrible sinner!’” BSB BSB: But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
14 ARST Then Jesus said,“I tell you that as they left to go home, God had forgiven the tax collector, but God had not forgiven the Pharisee. This is because God will humble everyone who exalts himself, and God will exalt everyone who humbles himself.” BSB BSB: I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15 ARST One day people were bringing even their babies to Jesus so that he would put his hands on them and bless them. When the disciples saw this, they told them not to do that. BSB BSB: Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
16 ARST But Jesus called for the children to be brought to him. He said,“Let the little children come to me! Do not stop them, because it is{ humble and trusting} people like these children who let God rule their lives. BSB BSB: But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17 ARST Indeed, I say to you that whoever will not humbly and trustingly let God rule over his life will not accept God’ s rule at all.” BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
18 ARST Once a Jewish leader asked Jesus,“Good teacher, what must I do in order to have everlasting life?” BSB BSB: Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 ARST Jesus said to him,“Why do you call me good? God is the only one who is truly good! BSB BSB: “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.
20 ARST { In answer to your question, certainly} you know the commandments{ that God gave to Moses for us to obey}:‘Do not commit adultery. Do not murder anyone. Do not steal. Do not give a false report. Honor your father and mother.’” BSB BSB: You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”
21 ARST The man said,“I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young.” BSB BSB: “All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.
22 ARST When Jesus heard him say that, he replied to him,“You still need to do one more thing. Sell all that you own. Then give the money to people who have very little to live on. The result will be that you will have spiritual riches in heaven. Then come and be my disciple!” BSB BSB: On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
23 ARST The man became very sad when he heard that, because he was extremely rich. BSB BSB: But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
24 ARST When Jesus looked at the man and said,“It is very difficult for those who are wealthy to let God rule over them. BSB BSB: Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25 ARST In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich people to let God rule their lives.” BSB BSB: Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 ARST Those who heard Jesus say that replied,“Then it seems that God will not consider that anyone should have eternal life!” BSB BSB: Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 ARST But Jesus said,“What is impossible for people is possible for God.” BSB BSB: But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 ARST Then Peter said,“What about us? We have left everything we had in order to become your disciples.” BSB BSB: “Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”
30 ARST will receive in this life many times as much as they left behind and, in the coming age, they will receive everlasting life.” BSB BSB: will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
31 ARST Jesus took his 12 representatives to a place by themselves. He said to them,“Listen carefully! We are on our way to Jerusalem. While we are there, everything that the prophets wrote long ago about me, the Son of Man, will happen. BSB BSB: Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
32 ARST This will happen when my enemies turn me over to the authorities who are not Jews. They will mock me, treat me with disdain, and spit on me. BSB BSB: He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
33 ARST They will whip me and then they will kill me. But two days later I will become alive again.” BSB BSB: They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”
34 ARST But the disciples did not understand any of those things that he said. God prevented them from recognizing their significance, so they did not know what Jesus meant by what he was telling them. BSB BSB: But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
35 ARST As Jesus and his disciples came near to the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road. He was begging for money. BSB BSB: As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.
36 ARST When he heard a crowd of people passing by, he kept asking{ those around him},“What is happening?” BSB BSB: When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
37 ARST They told him,“{ There is a crowd because} Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, is coming down the street.” BSB BSB: “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.
38 ARST He shouted,“Jesus, you who are descended from King David, have pity on me!” BSB BSB: So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 ARST Those who were walking at the front of the crowd scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly,“You who are descended from King David, have pity on me!” BSB BSB: Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 ARST Jesus stopped walking and commanded the people to bring the man to him. When the blind man came near, Jesus asked him, BSB BSB: Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had come near, Jesus asked him,
41 ARST “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied,“Lord, I want you to enable me to see!” BSB BSB: “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
42 ARST Jesus said to him,“Then I now restore your sight! Because you have trusted in me, I have healed you!” BSB BSB: “Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”
43 ARST Immediately he was able to see. And he went with Jesus, praising God. And when all the people there saw this, they also praised God. BSB BSB: Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.