Matthew 18
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
On the same occasion the disciples came to Jesus, and asked him: “Who is really the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
Jesus called a little child to him, and placed it in the middle of them, and then said:
3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
“I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, any one who will humble himself like this child — that man shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
And any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even one little child like this, is welcoming me.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
But, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be best for him to be sunk in the depths of the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.
7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Alas for the world because of such snares! There cannot but be snares; yet alas for the man who is answerable for the snare!
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. (aiōnios g166)
If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed or lame, than to have both hands, or both feet, and be thrown into the aeonian fire. (aiōnios g166)
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. (Geenna g1067)
If your eye is a snare to you, take it out, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the Life with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the fiery Pit. (Geenna g1067)
10 See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
Beware of despising one of these lowly ones, for in Heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in Heaven.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
What think you? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills, and go and search for the one that is straying?
13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
And, if he succeeds in finding it, I tell you that he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine which did not stray.
14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
So, too, it is the will of my Father who is in Heaven that not one of these lowly ones should be lost.
15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
If your Brother does wrong, go to him and convince him of his fault when you and he are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your Brother.
16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
But, if he does not listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that ‘on the evidence of two or three witnesses, every word may be put beyond dispute.’
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
If he refuses to listen to them, speak to the Church; and, if he also refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
I tell you, all that you forbid on earth will be held in Heaven to be forbidden, and all that you allow on earth will be held in Heaven to be allowed.
19 Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
Again, I tell you that, if but two of you on earth agree as to what they shall pray for, whatever it be, it will be granted them by my Father who is in Heaven.
20 For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”
For where two or three have come together in my Name, I am present with them.”
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Then Peter came up, and said to Jesus: “Master, how often am I to forgive my Brother when he wrongs me? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
But Jesus answered: “Not seven times, but ‘seventy times seven.’
23 Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
And therefore the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24 As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.
When he had begun to do so, one of them was brought to him who owed him six million pounds;
25 Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
and, as he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold towards the payment of the debt, together with his wife, and his children, and everything that he had.
26 Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
Thereupon the servant threw himself down on the ground before him and said ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
The master was moved with compassion; and he let him go, and forgave him the debt.
28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’
But, on going out, that same servant came upon one of his fellow-servants who owed him ten pounds. Seizing him by the throat, he said ‘Pay what you owe me.’
29 So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’
Thereupon his fellow-servant threw himself on the ground and begged for mercy. ‘Have patience with me,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you.’
30 But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
But the other would not, but went and put him in prison till he should pay his debt.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.
When his fellow-servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and went to their master and laid the whole matter before him.
32 Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.
Upon that the master sent for the servant, and said to him ‘You wicked servant! When you begged me for mercy, I forgave you the whole of that debt.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
Ought not you, also, to have shown mercy to your fellow-servant, just as I showed mercy to you?’
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.
Then his master, in anger, handed him over to the jailers, until he should pay the whole of his debt.
35 That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
So, also, will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each one of you forgives his Brother from his heart.”
