Luke 18 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Then Jesus taught the followers that they should always pray and never lose hope. Jesus used this story to teach them:

² “Once there was a judge in a town. He did not care about God. The judge also did not care what people thought about him.

³ In that same town there was a woman. Her husband was dead. The woman came many times to this judge and said, ‘There is a man that is doing bad things to me. Give me my rights!’

⁴ But the judge did not want to help the woman. After a long time, the judge thought to himself, ‘I don’t care about God. And I don’t care about what people think.

⁵ But this woman is bothering me. If I give her what she wants, then she will leave me alone. But if I don’t give her what she wants, she will bother me until I am sick!’”

⁶ The Lord (Jesus) said, “Listen! \{There is meaning\} in what the bad judge said.

⁷ God’s people shout to him night and day. God will always give his people what is right. God will not be slow to answer his people.

⁸ I tell you, God will help his people quickly! But when the Son of Man {\cf2\super [282]} comes again, will he find people on earth who believe in him?”

⁹ There were some people that thought that they were very good. These people acted like they were better than other people. Jesus used this story to teach them:

¹⁰ “One time there was a Pharisee {\cf2\super [283]} and a tax collector. {\cf2\super [284]} One day they both went to the temple {\cf2\super [285]} to pray.

¹¹ The Pharisee stood alone, away from the tax collector. When the Pharisee prayed, he said, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people. I am not like men that steal, cheat, or do the sin of adultery. {\cf2\super [286]} I thank you that I am better than this tax collector.

¹² \{I am good;\} I fast {\cf2\super [287]} twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I earn!’

¹³ “The tax collector {\cf2\super [288]} stood alone too. But when he prayed, he would not even look up to heaven. The tax collector felt very humble before God. He said, ‘O God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!’

¹⁴ I tell you, when this man finished his prayer and went home, he was right with God. But the Pharisee, {\cf2\super [289]} who felt that he was better than other people, was not right with God. Every person that makes himself important will be made humble. But the person that makes himself humble will be made important.”

¹⁵ Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that Jesus could touch them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this.

¹⁶ But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people that are like these little children.

¹⁷ I tell you the truth. You must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it!”

¹⁸ A \{Jewish\} leader asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to get the life that continues forever?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

²⁰ \{But I will answer your question.\} You know \{God’s\} commands: ‘You must not do the sin of adultery, {\cf2\super [290]} you must not murder anyone, you must not steal anything, you must not tell lies about other people, you must honor (respect) your father and mother….’ {\cf2\super [291]} ”

²¹ But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy!”

²² When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, “But there is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to the poor people. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me!”

²³ But when the man heard this, he was very sad. The man was very rich \{and wanted to keep his money.\}

²⁴ When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, “It will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁵ It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁶ When the people heard this, they said, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus answered, “God can do things that are not possible for people to do!”

²⁸ Peter said, “Look, we left everything we had and followed you!”

²⁹ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Every person that has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God’s kingdom

³⁰ will get much more than he left. That person will get many times more in this life. And after that person dies, he will live with God forever.”

³¹ Then Jesus talked to the twelve apostles {\cf2\super [292]} alone. Jesus said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem. Everything that God told the prophets {\cf2\super [293]} to write about the Son of Man {\cf2\super [294]} will happen!

³² His people will turn against him and give him to the non-Jewish people. {\cf2\super [295]} The non-Jews will laugh at him, insult him, and spit on him.

³³ They will beat him with whips and then kill him! But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.”

³⁴ The apostles tried to understand this, but they could not; the meaning was hidden from them.

³⁵ Jesus came near the city of Jericho. There was a blind man sitting beside the road. The blind man was begging people for money.

³⁶ When this man heard the people coming down the road, he asked, “What is happening?”

³⁷ The people told him, “Jesus, the one from Nazareth, is coming here.”

³⁸ The blind man was excited and said, “Jesus, Son of David {\cf2\super [296]} ! Please help me!”

³⁹ The people that were in front, leading the group, criticized the blind man. They told him not to speak. But the blind man shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!”

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped there and said, “Bring that blind man to me!” When the blind man came near, Jesus asked him,

⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

⁴² Jesus said to him, “You can see now! You are healed because you believed.”

⁴³ Then the man was able to see. The man followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people that saw this praised God for what happened.