Luke 18:9-14 - The Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

⁹ Then Jesus told this parable to certain ones who were relying on their own goodness and putting everyone else down: ¹⁰ "Two men went up to the Temple [in Jerusalem] to pray. One of them was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood up [conspicuously] and prayed about himself this way [i.e., bragging to God about how good he was], 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, sexually unfaithful to their mates, or even like that tax collector [over there]. ¹² I fast [i.e., going without food and/or drink for religious reasons] twice a week and I give [to God's work] a tenth of everything I get.'

¹³ But the tax collector stood at a distance [i.e., inconspicuously] and would not even look up to heaven, but struck his chest [i.e., in remorse], saying, 'God, [please] have mercy on a sinner like me.' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went back home right with God instead of the other man. For every person who exalts himself [as important] will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted [as important]."