1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.'

4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"

6And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

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

9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

10"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'

13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."