¹He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, ²saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man. ³A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ ⁴He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, ⁵yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’ ” ⁶The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? ⁸I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” ⁹He 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. ¹¹The 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. ¹²I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³But 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!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”