< Matthew 18 >
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Nʼoge ahụ kwa, ndị na-eso ụzọ Jisọs bịakwutere ya jụọ ajụjụ sị, “Olee onye dị ukwuu karịa ibe ya nʼalaeze eluigwe?”
2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
Ọ kpọrọ otu nwantakịrị, onye o mere ka o guzoro nʼetiti ha,
3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
ọ sịrị, “Nʼezie, agwa m unu, ọ bụrụ na unu agbanweghị ma dịrị ka ụmụntakịrị, unu agaghị aba nʼalaeze eluigwe.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Onye ọbụla wedara onwe ya ala dị ka nwantakịrị a bụ onye dịkarịsịrị ukwuu nʼalaeze eluigwe.
5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
Onye ọbụla nabatara nwantakịrị dị otu a nʼihi m, bụ onye nabatara m.
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.
“Ma ọ bụrụ na onye ọbụla nʼime unu emee ka otu nʼime ndị a dị nta, bụ ndị tụkwasịrị m obi, jehie nʼokwukwe ya, ọ kaara onye ahụ mma na e kedoro ya nkume igwe nri nʼolu, tụnye ya nʼoke osimiri ka mmiri rie ya.
7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Ahụhụ ga-adịrị ụwa nʼihi ihe ndị na-eme ka mmadụ jehie. Ihe ndị na-eme ka mmadụ daba nʼọnwụnwa aghaghị ịbịa, ma ahụhụ ga-adịrị onye ahụ nke ọ ga-esite nʼaka ya bịa.
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 )
Nʼihi nke a, ọ bụrụ na aka gị maọbụ ụkwụ gị na-eme ka i jehie, gbupụ ya tufukwaa ya. Ọ kaara gị mma inwe ọrụsị maọbụ daa ngwụrọ baa na ndụ, karịa na ị ga-enwe aka abụọ maọbụ ụkwụ abụọ, a tụnye gị nʼọkụ ebighị ebi. (aiōnios )
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 )
Ọzọ, ọ bụrụ na anya gị na-eme ka i jehie, ghụpụ ya tufuo. Ọ ga-akara gị mma na i nwere otu anya baa na ndụ, karịa inwe anya abụọ, a tụnye gị nʼọkụ ala mmụọ. (Geenna )
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.
“Lezienụ anya ka unu ghara ileda otu nʼime ụmụntakịrị ndị a anya. Nʼihi na nʼeluigwe, ndị mmụọ ozi ha na-anọ nʼihu Nna m mgbe niile.
Nʼihi na Nwa nke mmadụ bịara ịzọpụta ndị furu efu.
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?
“Gịnị ka unu chere? Ọ bụrụ na ọ dị onye nwere narị atụrụ, ma otu nʼime ha akpafuo, gịnị ka ọ ga-eme? Ọ gaghị ahapụ iri atụrụ itoolu na itoolu fọdụrụ pụọ jegharịa nʼugwu na ndịda niile, ịchọ atụrụ ahụ kpafuru akpafu?
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.
Ọ bụrụkwa na ọ chọta ya, gịnị ka ọ ga-eme? Nʼezie, agwa m unu, ọ ga-aṅụrị oke ọnụ nʼihi otu atụrụ a karịa iri atụrụ itoolu na itoolu ndị ọzọ ahụ na-agahieghị ụzọ.
14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Ya mere, ọ bụghị nzube Nna m nke bi nʼeluigwe ka otu nʼime ụmụnta ndị a ala nʼiyi.
15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
“Ọ bụrụ na nwanna gị emehie megide gị, jekwuru ya ebe naanị gị na ya nọ, tụọ ya mmehie nʼanya. Ọ bụrụ na o gee gị ntị, i ritela nwanna gị nʼuru.
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.’
Ma ọ bụrụ na o geghị gị ntị, kpọrọ otu onye maọbụ mmadụ abụọ ọzọ laghachi azụ nʼebe ọ nọ, ‘ka okwu ọbụla ekwuru bụrụ nke mmadụ abụọ maọbụ atọ ga-agba akaebe banyere ya.’
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.
Ọ bụrụ na o geghị ha ntị, gwa ndị chọọchị, ma ọ bụrụ na o geghịkwa ọ bụladị ndị chọọchị ntị, were ya dị ka onye mba ọzọ maọbụ onye ọna ụtụ.
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.
“Nʼezie, asị m unu, na ihe ọbụla unu kere agbụ nʼụwa a, e keela ya rịị agbụ nʼeluigwe. Ihe ọbụla kwa unu tọpụrụ nʼụwa, a tọpụkwala ya rịị nʼeluigwe.
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.
“Ọzọ, ana m agwa unu nʼezie a sị, ọ bụrụ na mmadụ abụọ nʼetiti unu ekwekọrịta nʼụwa banyere ihe ọbụla unu na-arịọ nʼekpere Nna m bi nʼeluigwe ga-emezuru unu ihe ahụ.
20 For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”
Nʼihi na ebe ọbụla mmadụ abụọ maọbụ atọ zukọtara nʼaha m, mụ onwe m nọ nʼetiti ha.”
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?”
Mgbe ahụ Pita bịakwutere ya jụọ ya ajụjụ sị, “Onyenwe anyị, ọ bụ ugboro ole ka m ga-agbaghara nwanne m nke mehiere megide m? Ọ bụ ugboro asaa?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
Jisọs zara sị ya, “Ọ bụghị ugboro asaa. Kama ị ga-agbaghara ya ruo iri ugboro asaa ụzọ asaa.
23 Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
“A ga-eji alaeze eluigwe tụnyere eze ahụ kpebiri ka ya na ndị ọrụ ya gụzie ego ya ha ji.
24 As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.
Mgbe ha malitere na-apịazi, a kpọtaara eze ahụ otu onye nke ji ya ụgwọ ruru puku talenti iri.
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.
Nwoke ahụ enweghị ihe ọ ga-eji kwụọ ụgwọ o ji. Nna ya ukwu nyere iwu ka e refuo ya na nwunye ya na ụmụ ya, na ihe niile o nwere, ka akwụghachi ụgwọ o ji.
26 Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
“Ma ohu ahụ dara nʼala, gbukwaa ikpere ya nʼala, rịọ ya arịrịọ sị, ‘Onyenwe m, biko, nwee ntachiobi nʼebe m nọ. Aga m akwụghachikwa gị ụgwọ niile m ji gị.’
27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
Nna ukwu onye ọrụ ahụ nwere ọmịiko nʼebe ọ nọ, meere ya ebere. Ọ sịrị ya akwụghachila ụgwọ o ji ọzọ.
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!’
“Ma mgbe ohu ahụ sitere nʼebe ahụ pụọ, ọ hụrụ otu ohu ibe ya ji ya ụgwọ otu narị denarị. O jidere ya nʼaka ike, machie ya aka nʼakpịrị, sị ya, ‘Kwụghachi m ụgwọ i ji m ugbu a.’
29 So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’
“Ya mere, ohu ibe ya ahụ dara nʼala nʼihu ya rịọọ ya ka o nye ya nwantịntị oge. Ọ rịọkwara ya sị, ‘Enyi m, biko nwee ntachiobi, aga m akwụghachi gị ụgwọ m ji gị.’
30 But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
“Ma o kwenyeghị, kama ọ gara tụba ya nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, ebe ọ ga-anọ ruo mgbe ọ kwụsịrị ụgwọ niile o ji ya.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.
Mgbe ndị ohu ibe ya hụrụ ihe mere, o wutere ha nke ukwuu. Ha jekwuru Nna ha ukwu kọọrọ ya ihe niile ndị a.
32 Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.
“Nʼihi nke a Nna ya ukwu kpọrọ ohu ahụ sị ya, ‘Ohu obi ọjọọ! Agbaghara m gị ụgwọ ahụ niile i ji, nʼihi na ị rịọrọ m arịrịọ.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
Ọ bụ na ị kwesighị inwe obi ebere nʼebe ohu ibe gị nọ, dị ka m si mere gị ebere?’
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.
Nʼihi iwe, Nna ya ukwuu nyefere ya nʼaka ndị nche na-eche ndị nọ nʼụlọ mkpọrọ ka ha taa ya ahụhụ, ruo mgbe ọ kwụchara ụgwọ niile o ji.
35 That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
“Otu a ka Nna m bi nʼeluigwe ga-emekwa unu, ma ọ bụrụ na unu ejighị obi unu niile gbaghara ụmụnna unu.”