Matthew 18
1 At that hour the disciples came near to Jesus, saying, “Who, now, is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?”
Just then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who ranks higher than others in the Kingdom of the Heavens?"
2 And Jesus having called near a child, set him in the midst of them,
So He called a young child to Him, and, bidding him stand in the midst of them,
3 and said, “Truly I say to you, if you may not be turned and become as the children, you may not enter into the kingdom of the heavens;
said, "In solemn truth I tell you that unless you turn and become like little children, you will in no case be admitted into the Kingdom of the Heavens.
4 whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens.
Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this young child, he it is who is superior to others in the Kingdom of the Heavens.
5 And he who may receive one such child in My Name, receives Me,
And whoever for my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me.
6 and whoever may cause to stumble one of those little ones who are believing in Me, it is better for him that a weighty millstone may be hanged on his neck, and he may be sunk in the depth of the sea.
But whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 Woe to the world from the stumbling-blocks! For there is necessity for the stumbling-blocks to come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling-block comes!
"Alas for the world because of causes of falling! They cannot but come, but alas for each man through whom they come!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and cast [them] from you; it is good for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the continuous fire. (aiōnios g166)
If your hand or your foot is causing you to fall into sin, cut it off and away with it. It is better for you to enter into Life crippled in hand or foot than to remain in possession of two sound hands or feet but be thrown into the fire of the Ages. (aiōnios g166)
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast from you; it is good for you to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. (Geenna g1067)
And if your eye is causing you to fall into sin, tear it out and away with it; it is better for you to enter into Life with only one eye, than to remain in possession of two eyes but be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. (Geenna g1067)
10 Beware! You may not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their messengers in the heavens always behold the face of My Father who is in the heavens,
"Beware of ever despising one of these little ones, for I tell you that in Heaven their angels have continual access to my Father who is in Heaven.
11 [[for the Son of Man came to save the lost.]]
12 What do you think? If a man may have one hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, does he not—having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains—seek that which is gone astray?
What do you yourselves think? Suppose a man gets a hundred sheep and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and look for the one that is straying?
13 And if it may come to pass that he finds it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray;
And if he succeeds in finding it, in solemn truth I tell you that he rejoices over it more than he does over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.
14 so it is not [the] will in [the] presence of your Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones may perish.
Just so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
15 And if your brother may sin against you, go and show him his fault between you and him alone, if he may hear you, you gained your brother;
"If your brother acts wrongly towards you, go and point out his fault to him when only you and he are there. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 and if he may not hear, take with you yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.
But if he will not listen to you, go again, and ask one or two to go with you, that every word spoken may be attested by two or three witnesses.
17 And if he may not hear them, say [it] to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to you as the heathen man and the tax collector.
If he refuses to hear them, appeal to the Church; and if he refuses to hear even the Church, regard him just as you regard a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.
18 Truly I say to you, whatever things you may bind on the earth will be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things you may loose on the earth will be having been loosed in the heavens.
I solemnly tell you that whatever you as a Church bind on earth will in Heaven be held as bound, and whatever you loose on earth will in Heaven be held to be loosed.
19 Again, I say to you that if two of you may agree on the earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask—it will be done to them from My Father who is in the heavens,
I also solemnly tell you that if two of you here on earth agree together concerning anything whatever that they shall ask, the boon will come to them from my Father who is in Heaven.
20 for where there are two or three gathered together—to My Name, there am I in the midst of them.”
For where there are two or three assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
21 Then Peter having come near to Him, said, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him—until seven times?”
At this point Peter came to Him with the question, "Master, how often shall my brother act wrongly towards me and I forgive him? seven times?"
22 Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
"I do not say seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven times.
23 Because of this was the kingdom of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who willed to take reckoning with his servants,
"For this reason the Kingdom of the Heavens may be compared to a king who determined to have a settlement of accounts with his servants.
24 and he having begun to take account, there was brought near to him one debtor of a myriad of talents,
But as soon as he began the settlement, one was brought before him who owed 10,000 talents,
25 and he having nothing to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and the children, and all, whatever he had, and payment to be made.
and was unable to pay. So his master ordered that he and his wife and children and everything that he had should be sold, and payment be made.
26 The servant then, having fallen down, was prostrating to him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all;
The servant therefore falling down, prostrated himself at his feet and entreated him. "'Only give me time,' he said, 'and I will pay you the whole.'
27 and the lord of that servant having been moved with compassion released him, and the debt he forgave him.
"Whereupon his master, touched with compassion, set him free and forgave him the debt.
28 And that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him one hundred denarii, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which you owe.
But no sooner had that servant gone out, than he met with one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 shillings; and seizing him by the throat and nearly strangling him he exclaimed, "'Pay me all you owe.'
29 His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, was calling on him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all;
"His fellow servant therefore fell at his feet and entreated him, "'Only give me time,' he said, 'and I will pay you.'
30 and he would not, but having gone away, he cast him into prison, until he might pay that which was owing.
"He would not, however, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay what was due.
31 And his fellow-servants having seen the things that were done, were grieved exceedingly, and having come, showed fully to their lord all the things that were done;
His fellow servants, therefore, seeing what had happened, were exceedingly angry; and they came and told their master without reserve all that had happened.
32 then having called him, his lord says to him, Evil servant! All that debt I forgave you, seeing you called on me;
At once his master called him and said, "'Wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you entreated me:
33 did it not seem necessary to you to have dealt kindly with your fellow servant, as I also dealt kindly with you?
ought not you also to have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'
34 And having been angry, his lord delivered him to the inquisitors, until he might pay all that was owing to him;
"So his master, greatly incensed, handed him over to the jailers until he should pay all he owed him.
35 so also My heavenly Father will do to you, if you may not forgive each one his brother from your hearts their trespasses.”
"In the same way my Heavenly Father will deal with you, if you do not all of you forgive one another from your hearts."
