Luke 18

Parables on Prayer

1 Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart, 2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man.3 There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’4 For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,5 yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise *18:5 Or in the end she will come and give me a black eye.by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’ "6 Then the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says!7 And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?"