4. He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,
5. yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”
6. The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
7. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?
8. I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
9. He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.
10. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
11. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
13. But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’