# Luke 18.15-17

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-26 | updated: 2026-06-26 -->

**Book:** [Luke](/codex/luke-the-evangelist/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> "13. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. 14. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
>
> **"15. And they were bringing unto him also their babes, that he should touch them: but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16. But Jesus called them unto him, saying, <span class="rl-speech">Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.</span>"**
>
> "18. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19. And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God." (Luke 18:13-19, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> "13. But 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!’ 14. I 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.”"
>
> **"15. They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16. Jesus summoned them, saying, <span class="rl-speech">“Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”</span>"**
>
> "18. A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19. Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one, God." (Luke 18:13-19, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> "13. And 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. 14. I 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."
>
> **"15. And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.</span>"**
>
> "18. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19. And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God." (Luke 18:13-19, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> "13. 'And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me, the sinner! 14. I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'"
>
> **"15. And they were bringing near also the babes, that he may touch them, and the disciples having seen did rebuke them, 16. and Jesus having called them near, said, <span class="rl-speech">'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God;</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.'</span>"**
>
> "18. And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done, shall I inherit life age-during?' 19. And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one [is] good, except One, God;" (Luke 18:13-19, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_


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## Quoted in

- [Verses on Gods Goodness and Human Worth](/codex/verses-on-gods-goodness-and-human-worth/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.
