The Parable of the Persistent Widow 2 UDB 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 UDB There was a widow in that city who kept coming to that judge, saying, 'Please get justice for me from 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 UDB "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 UDB but this widow keeps bothering me! So I will judge her case and make sure she is treated fairly because 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 UDB Then the Lord 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 UDB Even more certainly will God, who is just, bring about justice for his chosen people, who pray earnestly to him night and day! 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 UDB I tell you, God will quickly do 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?”
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector 10 UDB He said, "Two men went up to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. One of the men was a Pharisee. The other was someone who collected taxes from 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 UDB 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, and 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 UDB I fast two days every week and I give to the temple ten percent of all that I earn!' BSB BSB: I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13 UDB "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 be merciful to me and 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 UDB Then Jesus said, "I tell you that the tax collector was forgiven as they left to go home, but not the Pharisee. This is because everyone who exalts himself will be made humble, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted." 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.”
Jesus Blesses the Children (Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16)
15 UDB 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 UDB But Jesus called for the children to be brought to him. He said, "Let the little children come to me! Do not stop them! It is humble and trusting people like these children over whom God will agree to rule. 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 UDB Indeed I say to you that whoever does not accept with humility like a child for God to rule over them, God will not accept that person 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.”
The Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31)
18 UDB Once a Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do in order to have eternal life?" BSB BSB: Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 UDB 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 UDB "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 UDB 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 UDB 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 UDB 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 UDB When Jesus saw how sad the man was, he too became very sorrowful. He said, "It is very difficult for those who are wealthy to agree for God to 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 UDB 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 UDB Those who heard Jesus say that replied, "Then it seems that no one can be saved!" BSB BSB: Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 UDB 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 UDB Then Peter said, "Look, 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 UDB will receive in this life many times as much as they left behind, and in the coming age they will receive eternal life." BSB BSB: will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
The Third Prediction of the Passion (Matthew 20:17–19; Mark 10:32–34)
31 UDB Jesus took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves and said to them, "Listen carefully! We are now going up to Jerusalem. While we are there, everything that the prophets wrote long ago about me, the Son of Man, will be accomplished. 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 UDB My enemies will give me over to the power of the Gentiles. 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 UDB They will whip me and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that I will become alive again." BSB BSB: They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”
34 UDB But the disciples did not understand any of those things that he said. God prevented them from understanding the meaning of 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.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar (Matthew 20:29–34; Mark 10:46–52)
35 UDB 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 UDB When he heard the crowd of people passing by, he asked someone, "What is happening?" BSB BSB: When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
37 UDB They told him, "Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, is passing by." BSB BSB: “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.
38 UDB 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 UDB 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 UDB 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 UDB "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 UDB Jesus said to him, "Then see! Because you have trusted in me, I have healed you!" BSB BSB: “Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”
43 UDB 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.