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Sunday, December 21st, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

Luke 18:6

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Despondency;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ask;   Christ;   Church;   Family;   Importunity;   Prayer;   Secret Prayer;   United Prayer;   Unwise Prayers;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;   Prayer;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Luke, gospel of;   Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Prayer;   Widow;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hearing the Word of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proselytes;   Widow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Luke, Gospel of;   Parables;   Prayer;   Vengeance;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Conscience;   Parable;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Circumstantiality in the Parables;   Discourse;   Honesty ;   Names and Titles of Christ;   Parousia (2);   Police;   Prayer (2);   Widow ;   Widows;   Winter ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gospels, the Synoptic;   Prayer;   Prayers of Jesus;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for April 26;   My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for September 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said, Heare what the vniust iudge saith.
King James Version
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
English Standard Version
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
New American Standard Bible
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge said;
New Century Version
The Lord said, "Listen to what the unfair judge said.
Amplified Bible
Then the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said;
Legacy Standard Bible
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge *said.
Berean Standard Bible
And the Lord said, "Listen to the words of the unjust judge.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord said: Think about what that crooked judge said.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then the Lord commented, "Notice what this corrupt judge says.
Darby Translation
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said, "Listen, there is meaning in what the bad judge said.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said, Heare what the vnrighteous iudge saith.
George Lamsa Translation
Then our Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said.
Good News Translation
And the Lord continued, "Listen to what that corrupt judge said.
Lexham English Bible
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying!
Literal Translation
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says;
American Standard Version
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said, Give ear to the words of the evil judge.
Hebrew Names Version
The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
International Standard Version
Then the Lord added, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
Etheridge Translation
And our Lord said, Hear what saith the unrighteous judge.
Murdock Translation
And our Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde: heare what the vuryghteous iudge sayeth.
English Revised Version
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.
World English Bible
The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith?
Weymouth's New Testament
And the Lord said, "Hear those words of the unjust judge.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide, Here ye, what the domesman of wickidnesse seith;
Update Bible Version
And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
New English Translation
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says!
New King James Version
Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
New Living Translation
Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
New Life Bible
Then the Lord said, "Listen to the words of the sinful man who is head of the court.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the Lord said - Hear ye what, the unrighteous judge saith; -
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Revised Standard Version
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the lorde sayd: heare what the vnrightewes Iudge sayeth.
Young's Literal Translation
And the Lord said, `Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde the LORDE: Heare what ye vnrighteous iudge sayeth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
observe, said Jesus, that language of this unrighteous judge.
THE MESSAGE
Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
And then Jesus said, "See what a godless judge will do for those who never give up?

Contextual Overview

1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Luke 12:18 - General Luke 16:8 - unjust

Cross-References

Isaiah 32:8
But those who are noble plan noble things, and by noble things they stand.
Matthew 13:33
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
Acts 16:15
When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
Romans 12:13
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
1 Peter 4:9
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered out this parable to his disciples:

hear what the unjust judge saith; and take encouragement from hence to be frequent and importunate in prayer with God; for if such a cruel, merciless, and unjust judge is to be wrought upon by importunity to do justice, who has no principle to influence him, how much more will not God, who is a just judge, the judge of widows, and of the oppressed, a God of great mercy and compassion, who delights in the prayers of his people, knows their cases, and is able to help them, and who has an interest in them, and they in him? how much more will not he regard their importunate requests, and arise, and save them much such like reasoning this is used by the Jews:

"says R. Simeon ben Chelphetha, an impudent man overcomes a good man, or a modest man, (by his importunity,) how much more the goodness of the world itself q?''

that is, how much more will a man, by his continual prayer, prevail with God, who is goodness itself? And they have another saying r, that agrees with this:

"says R. Nachman, impudence (i.e. importunity) even against God is profitable.''

The application of this parable follows:

q T. Hieros. Taaniot, fol. 65. 2. r T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hear ... - Give attention to this, and derive from it practical instruction.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 18:6. Hear what the unjust judge saith. — Our blessed Lord intimates that we should reason thus with ourselves: "If a person of such an infamous character as this judge was could yield to the pressing and continual solicitations of a poor widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready must God be, who is infinitely good and merciful, and who loves his creatures in the tenderest manner, to give his utmost salvation to all them who diligently seek it!"


 
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