< Matthew 18 >

1 On the same occasion the disciples came to Jesus, and asked him, “Who is really the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Ihinda o rĩu arutwo magĩũka kũrĩ Jesũ, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nũũ mũnene gũkĩra arĩa angĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wa igũrũ?”
2 Jesus called a little child to him, and placed it in the middle of them, and then said,
Nake agĩĩta kaana, agĩkarũgamia gatagatĩ kao.
3 “I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven at all.
Agĩcooka akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, tiga mũgarũrũkire mũtuĩke o ta twana, mũtigatoonya ũthamaki wa igũrũ.
4 Therefore, anyone who will humble themselves like this child – that person will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ũrĩa wothe wĩnyiihagia ta kaana gaka nĩwe mũnene gũkĩra arĩa angĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wa igũrũ.
5 And anyone who, for the sake of my name, welcomes even one little child like this, is welcoming me.
“Nake ũrĩa wothe wamũkagĩra kaana ta gaka thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩakwa, nĩ niĩ aamũkagĩra.
6 But, if anyone puts temptation in the way of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be best for them to be sunk in the depths of the sea with a great millstone hung around their neck.
No ũrĩa wothe ũngĩhĩtithia kamwe ga twana tũtũ tũnjĩtĩkĩtie keehie, nĩ kaba mũndũ ũcio aharũkio ihiga rĩa gĩthĩi ngingo aikio iria-inĩ kũrĩa kũriku.
7 Alas for the world because of such temptations! There cannot but be temptations but sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
“Kaĩ gũkũ thĩ kũrĩ na haaro-ĩ, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ marĩa matũmaga andũ mehie! Maũndũ ta macio no nginya moke, no mũndũ ũrĩa ũtũmaga moke kaĩ arĩ na haaro-ĩ!
8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have both hands, or both feet, and be thrown into the fire that never goes out. (aiōnios g166)
Guoko gwaku kana kũgũrũ gwaku kũngĩtũma wĩhie-rĩ, gũtinie ũgũte. Nĩ kaba ũtoonye muoyo-inĩ wĩ gĩthua kana wĩ kĩonje, gũkĩra ũkorwo na moko meerĩ kana magũrũ meerĩ na ũikio mwaki-inĩ wa tene na tene. (aiōnios g166)
9 If your eye causes you to sin, 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 fires of Gehenna. (Geenna g1067)
Narĩo riitho rĩaku rĩngĩtũma wĩhie-rĩ, rĩkũũre, ũrĩte. Nĩ kaba ũtoonye muoyo-inĩ na riitho rĩmwe, gũkĩra ũkorwo na maitho meerĩ na ũikio mwaki-inĩ wa kwa ngoma. (Geenna g1067)
10 Beware of despising one of these little ones, for in heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
“Menyererai mũtikae kũnyarara o na kamwe ga twana tũtũ tũnini. Nĩgũkorwo ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ, araika a tuo nĩmonaga ũthiũ wa Baba ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ, hĩndĩ ciothe.” (
Nĩgũkorwo Mũrũ wa Mũndũ ookire kũhonokia kĩrĩa kĩorĩte.)
12 “What think you? If a person owns a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, will the person not leave the ninety-nine on the hills, and go and search for the one that is straying?
“Rĩu-rĩ, mũgwĩciiria atĩa? Mũndũ angĩkorwo arĩ na ngʼondu igana rĩmwe, na ĩmwe yacio yũre-rĩ, githĩ ndangĩtiga icio mĩrongo kenda na kenda kũu irĩma-inĩ, athiĩ agacarie ĩyo yũrĩte?
13 And, if they succeed in finding it, I tell you that they rejoice more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine which did not stray.
Na angĩmĩona-rĩ, ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, akenagĩra ngʼondu ĩyo ĩmwe ĩrorĩte kũrĩ ũrĩa akenagĩra icio mĩrongo kenda na kenda itaroorĩte.
14 So, too, it is the will of my Father who is in heaven that not one of these little ones should be lost.
Ũguo noguo Ithe wanyu ũrĩa ũrĩ Igũrũ atangĩenda o na kamwe ga twana tũtũ tũnini koore.
15 “If your brother or sister does wrong, go to them and convince them of their fault when you are both alone. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
“Mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa thoguo angĩkũhĩtĩria-rĩ, thiĩ ũmuonie ihĩtia rĩake mũrĩ o inyuĩ eerĩ. Angĩgũthikĩrĩria-rĩ, nĩmwacookanwo nake.
16 But, if they do 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.
No angĩrega gũgũthikĩrĩria, oya mũndũ ũngĩ ũmwe kana eerĩ mũthiĩ nao, nĩguo ũndũ o wothe ũrũgamagĩrĩrwo nĩ ũira wa andũ eerĩ kana atatũ.
17 If they refuse to listen to them, speak to the church; and, if they also refuse to listen to the church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.
Angĩrega kũmathikĩrĩria-rĩ, ĩra kanitha ũndũ ũcio; na angĩkĩrega gũthikĩrĩria o na kanitha-rĩ, mũtue o ta mũndũ ũtetĩkĩtie kana ta mwĩtia wa mbeeca cia igooti.
18 “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.
“Ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, ũndũ o wothe mũkooha gũkũ thĩ, o na igũrũ nĩũkoohwo, na ũrĩa wothe mũkoohora gũkũ thĩ, o na igũrũ nĩũkohorwo.
19 Again, I tell you that, if but two of you on earth agree as to what they will pray for, whatever it be, it will be granted them by my Father who is in heaven.
“O rĩngĩ ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ, andũ eerĩ anyu mangĩiguanĩra gũkũ thĩ ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa marahooya, nĩmakahingĩrio nĩ Baba ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ.
20 For where two or three have come together in my name, I am present with them.”
Nĩgũkorwo harĩa andũ eerĩ kana atatũ monganĩte thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩakwa-rĩ, ngoragwo ndĩ ho gatagatĩ kao.”
21 Then Peter came up, and said to Jesus, “Master, how often am I to forgive someone who wrongs me? As many as seven times?”
Ningĩ Petero agĩũka harĩ Jesũ, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathani, mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa baba angĩhĩtĩria maita maigana ngĩmũrekagĩra? Hihi nĩ maita mũgwanja?”
22 But Jesus answered, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.
Jesũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ngũkwĩra atĩrĩ, ti maita mũgwanja, no nĩ mĩrongo mũgwanja, maita mũgwanja.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ũthamaki wa igũrũ ũhaananĩtio na mũthamaki ũrĩa wendaga kuonio mathabu ma mbeeca ciake nĩ ndungata ciake.
24 When he had begun to do so, one of them was brought to him who owed him ten thousand bags of gold;
Aambĩrĩria kũrora mathabu-rĩ, mũndũ warĩ na thiirĩ wake wa taranda ngiri ikũmi akĩrehwo kũrĩ we.
25 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.
Na tondũ nĩaremetwo nĩ kũrĩha-rĩ, mwathi wake agĩathana atĩ mũndũ ũcio, endio hamwe na mũtumia wake, na ciana ciake, na kĩrĩa gĩothe aarĩ nakĩo nĩguo thiirĩ ũrĩhĩke.
26 The servant threw himself down on the ground before him and said ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
“Ndungata ĩyo ĩkĩĩgũithia mbere yake, ĩkĩmũthaitha, ĩkĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ngirĩrĩria, na nĩndĩĩkũrĩha thiirĩ wothe.’
27 The master was moved with compassion; and he let him go, and forgave him the debt.
Nake mwathi ũcio wa ndungata ĩyo akĩmĩiguĩra tha, akĩmĩrekera thiirĩ ũcio akĩreka ĩthiĩ.
28 But, on going out, that same servant came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. Seizing him by the throat, he said ‘Pay what you owe me.’
“No ndungata ĩyo yoima nja, ĩgĩcemania na ndungata ĩngĩ yarutaga wĩra nayo yarĩ na thiirĩ wayo wa dinari igana rĩmwe. Ĩkĩmĩnyiita mũmero ĩmĩite, ĩkĩmĩĩra na hinya atĩrĩ, ‘Ndĩha thiirĩ wakwa ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo!’
29 His fellow servant threw himself on the ground and begged for mercy. ‘Have patience with me,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you.’
“Ndungata ĩyo ĩkĩĩgũithia thĩ, ĩkĩmĩthaitha, ĩkĩmĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ngirĩrĩria, na nĩndĩĩkũrĩha.’
30 But the other would not, but went and put him in prison until he should pay his debt.
“Nowe akĩrega. Handũ ha ũguo, agĩthiĩ ĩkĩmĩikithia njeera nginya rĩrĩa ĩkaarĩha thiirĩ ũcio.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and went to their master and laid the whole matter before him.
Rĩrĩa ndungata iria ingĩ cioonire ũrĩa gwekĩka-rĩ, ikĩigua ũũru mũno, igĩthiĩ ikĩĩra mwathi wacio ũrĩa wothe gwekĩkĩte.
32 So 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.
“Nake mwathi wao agĩĩta ndungata ĩyo, akĩmĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Wee ndungata ĩno njaganu, ngũrekeire thiirĩ waku wothe tondũ nĩũũthaithire.
33 Shouldn’t you, also, to have shown mercy to your fellow servant, just as I showed mercy to you?’
Githĩ nawe ndũkwagĩrĩirwo ũiguĩre ndungata ĩrĩa ĩngĩ tha o ta ũrĩa niĩ ngũiguĩrĩire tha?’
34 Then his master, in anger, handed him over to the jailers, until he should pay the whole of his debt.
Nĩ ũndũ wa kũrakara, mwathi wayo akĩmĩneana kũrĩ anene a njeera nĩguo ĩkaherithio o nginya rĩrĩa ĩkaarĩha thiirĩ wothe.
35 So, also, will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”
“Ũguo nĩguo Baba ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ ageeka o ũmwe wanyu, mũngĩaga kũrekera mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa ithe wanyu na ma kuuma ngoro-inĩ cianyu.”

< Matthew 18 >