Luke 18:3

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Luke 18:1–5 · Berean Standard Bible

1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:

2 “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.

3 And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

4 For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,

5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Deuteronomy 27:19

‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

2 Samuel 14:5

“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

2 Samuel 14:6

And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

2 Samuel 14:7

Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

2 Samuel 14:8

“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”

2 Samuel 14:9

But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

2 Samuel 14:10

“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”

2 Samuel 14:11

“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

2 Samuel 14:12

Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

2 Samuel 14:13

The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

2 Samuel 14:14

For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

2 Samuel 14:15

Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

2 Samuel 14:16

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

2 Samuel 14:17

And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

2 Samuel 14:18

Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.

2 Samuel 14:19

So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

2 Samuel 14:20

Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”

2 Samuel 14:21

Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

2 Samuel 14:22

Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”

2 Samuel 14:23

So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 14:24

But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.

Job 22:9

You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Job 29:13

The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

Isaiah 1:21

See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!

Isaiah 1:22

Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.

Isaiah 1:23

Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Jeremiah 5:28

They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

Luke 18:7

Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?

Luke 18:8

I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Romans 13:3

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.

Romans 13:4

For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.