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Luke 18:4
ESV For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,
NIV "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,
NASB For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person,
CSB "For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people,
NLT The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
KJV And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
NKJV And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,

What does Luke 18:4 mean?

Jesus is telling a parable about a corrupt and heartless judge. The judge openly disrespects God and other people. He has no care for the Mosaic law, which he is supposed to uphold. He has no business being a judge. A widow has appeared before this judge several times, demanding justice from those who wish to harm her. Jesus doesn't name the offense, and it's a hypothetical situation, but land-grabbing is still common in some parts of the world. Widows and orphans watch powerful people take their homes and land, leaving them nothing to live on.

The Mosaic law says, "You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit" (Exodus 23:6). That law's protection applies to women, as well: God wrote much of the Mosaic law to protect women. In Isaiah 1:17, God says, "Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."

Eventually the judge takes the widow's case. That's not because he is convicted of his sin, or because he agrees that she deserves justice. It's simply because the widow is so insistent that the corrupt judge can't handle her constant badgering. Jesus contrasts this man with God: the One who willingly promises swift justice to His followers (Luke 18:5–8).
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