Luke 18 Comparison: King James Version vs Berean Study Bible
Luke 18
1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
17Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
18And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
27And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
28Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
31Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
33And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
34And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
35And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
39And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
40And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Luke 18
1Then 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.
3And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,
5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”
6And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge.
7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?
8I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
9To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
18Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.
20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”
21“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.
22On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
23But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
24Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”
29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
30will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
31Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
33They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”
34But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
35As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.
36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
37“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.
38So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had been brought near, Jesus asked him,
41“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
42“Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”
43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people who saw this gave praise to God.
Understanding King James Version vs Berean Study Bible in Luke 18
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
Berean Study Bible (BSB)
A modern translation balancing readability with faithfulness to the original texts. Written in clear, contemporary English for both reading and study. A strong all-around choice for daily use.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Luke 18 in the King James Version and Berean Study Bible. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Luke 18:16
"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
"But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
