Matthew 18
1 About that time we disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who [among us will be] the most important when God [MTY/EUP] [makes you] king?”
In that our the disciplis camen to Jhesu, and seiden, Who, gessist thou, is gretter in the kyngdom of heuenes?
2 Jesus called a child to come, and he placed that child in our midst.
And Jhesus clepide a litil child, and putte hym in the myddil of hem;
3 He said, “Think about this: If you [(pl)] do not change [the way you(pl) think] and become [as humble] as little children, you [(pl)] will surely not go to the place where God [MTY/EUP] rules.
and seide, Y seie treuthe to you, but ye be turned, and maad as litle children, ye schulen not entre in to the kyngdom of heuenes.
4 The people who become as humble as this child [or any child] is, will be the most important people among those over whom God rules.
Therfor who euer mekith hym as this litil child, he is gretter in the kyngdom of heuenes.
5 Also, when those who, [because they love] me, welcome [a] child like this one, [God considers] that they are welcoming me.”
And he that resseyueth o siche litil child in my name, resseyueth me.
6 “If you cause someone who believes in me to sin, [even if it is someone who is socially unimportant like] this little child, [God will severely punish you]. If a heavy stone were fastened around your neck and you were thrown into the deep waters of the sea, [people would consider that you had been severely punished. But God will punish] you more severely [than that if you cause someone to sin]
But who so sclaundrith oon of these smale, that bileuen in me, it spedith to hym that a mylnstoon `of assis be hangid in his necke, and he be drenchid in the depnesse of the see.
7 It will be terrible for those [MTY] who cause others to stop believing in me. [God will punish them eternally]. It is inevitable that there will be [those who] cause others to stop believing in me. But it will be horrible for everyone who does that.
Woo to the world, for sclaundris; for it is nede that sclaundris come; netheles wo to thilke man bi whom a sclaundre cometh.
8 So, if you [are wanting to use] one of your hands or feet to sin, [stop using that hand or foot! Even if you have to] cut it off [to avoid sinning, do it] [MET]! It is good [that you not sin and] go where you will live [with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth] you are maimed or lame and do not have a hand or a foot. But it is not good that you continue to have your two hands and two feet [and do] [MTY] [the sinful things you want to, and as a result], you are thrown into [hell], where there is eternal fire burning. (aiōnios g166, questioned)
And if thin hoond or thi foot sclaundreth thee, kitte it of, and caste awei fro thee. It is betere to thee to entre to lijf feble, ethir crokid, than hauynge tweyne hoondis or twey feet to be sent in to euerlastynge fier. (aiōnios g166)
9 If what you see you [makes you want] to sin, [stop looking at those things! Even if you have to] gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away [to avoid sinning, do it] [HYP]! It is good [that you not sin and] go where you will live [with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth] you have only one eye. But it is not good that you continue to have your two eyes [and do the sinful things you want to, and as a result], you are thrown {God throws you} into hell where there is eternal fire burning.” (Geenna g1067)
And if thin iye sclaundre thee, pulle it out, and caste awei fro thee. It is betere to thee with oon iye to entre in to lijf, thanne hauynge tweyn iyen to be sent in to the fier of helle. (Geenna g1067)
10 “Make an effort that you [(pl)] do not despise [even] one of these children. I tell you [(pl)] truly that [since] the angels [live] in heaven [in the presence of] my Father, [they will report to him if you mistreat the children].
Se ye, that ye dispise not oon of these litle. For Y seie to you, that the aungels of hem in heuenes seen euermore the face of my fadir that is in heuenes.
For mannus sone cam to saue that thing that perischide.
12 What do you [(pl)] think [you would do in the following situation]? If you had 100 sheep and one of them got lost, you would surely leave the 99 sheep [that are] on the hill and go and search for the lost one [RHQ], would you not?
What semeth to you? If ther weren to sum man an hundrid scheep, and oon of hem hath errid, whethir he schal not leeue nynti and nyne in desert, and schal go to seche that that erride?
13 If you found it, I affirm to you [(pl)] that you would rejoice very much. You would be happy that 99 sheep did not stray away, but you would rejoice even more [because you had found] the sheep that had strayed away.
And if it falle that he fynde it, treuli Y seie to you, that he schal haue ioye theron more than on nynti and nyne that erriden not.
14 In the same way [that shepherds do not want one of] their [sheep to stray away], so [God], your Father in heaven, does not want [even] one of these children to go to hell.” (questioned)
So it is not the wille bifor youre fadir that is in heuenes, that oon of these litle perische.
15 “If a fellow believer sins [against you], go [to him], and when you two are alone, reprove him [for sinning against you]. If that person listens to you [and feels sorry that he has sinned against you], you will have restored [your friendship with] that person.
But if thi brother synneth ayens thee, go thou, and repreue hym, bitwixe thee and hym aloone; if he herith thee, thou hast wonnun thi brother.
16 If that person will not listen to you [nor feel sorry that he has sinned against you], go get one or two other people [who will listen to what you both have to say]. Have them go with you so that [what is written] {[Moses wrote]} [in the Scriptures might happen: ] ‘[When one person accuses another in some matter], it should be confirmed by [at least] two or three people {[at least] two or three people should confirm it} [before that person can be declared] guilty {[before they declare that person guilty]}.’
And if he herith thee not, take with thee oon or tweyne, that euery word stonde in the mouth of tweyne or thre witnessis.
17 If the one who has sinned against you will not listen to them [or does not feel sorry that he has sinned against you], tell that to the congregation [so that they can rebuke him]. If that person will not listen to the congregation [or feel sorry that he has sinned against you, exclude him from being a member of your congregation, just like] you [would exclude] pagans, tax collectors, [and others who do not believe in God and sin greatly].
And if he herith not hem, seie thou to the chirche. But if he herith not the chirche, be he as an hethen and a pupplican to thee.
18 Keep this in mind: Whatever you decide on earth [about punishing] or [not punishing a member of your congregation] is what has also been decided by [God] in heaven {what [God] in heaven has also decided}.
Y seie to you treuli, what euer thingis ye bynden on erthe, tho schulen be boundun also in heuene; and what euer thingis ye vnbynden on erthe, tho schulen be vnboundun also in heuene.
19 Also note this: If [at least] two of you [who live] here on earth agree together about something you ask [God] for [DOU], [God], my Father [who is] in heaven, will give you what you ask for.
Eftsoone Y seie to you, that if tweyne of you consenten on the erthe, of euery thing what euer thei axen, it schal be don to hem of my fadir that is in heuenes.
20 [This is true], because wherever [at least] two or three of you assemble because you believe in me [MTY], I am [spiritually] present with you. I [will hear what you ask for and I will ask God to do it for you].”
For where tweyne or thre ben gaderid in my name, there Y am in the myddil of hem.
21 Then Peter approached [Jesus] and said to him, “How many times must I forgive a fellow believer who [keeps on] sinning against me? [If he keeps asking me to forgive him, must I forgive him] as many as seven times?”
Thanne Petre cam to hym, and seide, Lord, how ofte schal my brother synne ayens me, and Y schal foryyue hym?
22 Jesus said to him, “I tell you [that the number of] times [you must forgive someone is] not just up to seven, but [you must] ([forgive him] 77 times/never stop forgiving him).
Whether til seuen tymes? Jhesus seith to hym, Y seie not to thee, til seuene sithis; but til seuenti sithis seuene sithis.
23 [In order to illustrate] why [you should do this], I [will tell you a story in which] God [MTY/EUP], [who cares for] the people whose lives he rules over, is compared {I compare God, [who cares for] the people whose lives he rules over} to a king [and his officials]. That king told [some of his servants that he wanted] his officials to pay what they owed him.
Therfor the kyngdom of heuenes is licned to a kyng, that wolde rekyn with hise seruauntis.
24 [So those officials were brought to the king to] settle [their accounts with him]. [One of the officials who were brought] owed the king several million dollars.
And whanne he bigan to rekene, oon that ouyte ten thousynde talentis, was brouyt to hym.
25 But because he did not have [enough money] to pay [what he owed], the king demanded that he, his wife, his children and all he possessed be sold [to someone else, and that the king] be repaid [with] {receive} [the money that was paid for them].
And whanne he hadde not wherof to yelde, his lord comaundide hym to be seld, and his wijf, and children, and alle thingis that he hadde, and to be paied.
26 Then that official, [knowing that he did not have the money to pay that huge debt], fell on his knees [in front of the king] and begged him saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you all of it, [eventually].’
But thilke seruaunt felde doun, and preiede hym, and seide, Haue pacience in me, and Y schal yelde to thee alle thingis.
27 The king, [knowing that the official could never pay all that huge debt], felt sorry for him. So he canceled his debt and released him.
And the lord hadde merci on that seruaunt, and suffride hym to go, and foryaf to hym the dette.
28 Then this official went to another one of the king’s officials who owed him a bit less than a year’s wages. He grabbed him [by the throat], started choking him, and said to him, ‘Pay back what you owe [me]!’
But thilke seruaunt yede out, and foonde oon of his euen seruauntis, that ouyte hym an hundrid pens; and he helde hym, and stranglide hym, and seide, Yelde that that thou owest.
29 That official fell on his knees and begged him saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you all of it, [eventually].’
And his euen seruaunt felle doun, and preyede hym, and seide, Haue pacience in me, and Y schal quyte alle thingis to thee.
30 But this official kept refusing [to cancel that small debt that the man owed him]. Instead, he [caused that official to be] put in prison [and to stay there] until he could pay back all the money that he owed him.
But he wolde not; but wente out, and putte hym in to prisoun, til he paiede al the dette.
31 When the other officials [of the king] learned that this had happened, they felt very distressed. So they went to the king and reported in detail what had happened.
And hise euen seruauntis, seynge the thingis that weren don, soreweden greetli. And thei camen, and telden to her lord alle the thingis that weren don.
32 Then the king summoned the official [who had owed him several million dollars]. He said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I canceled that huge debt [that you owed me] because you begged me [to do so]
Thanne his lord clepide hym, and seide to hym, Wickid seruaunt, Y foryaf to thee al the dette, for thou preiedist me.
33 You should have been merciful [and canceled your fellow official’s debt], just like I was merciful to you [and canceled your debt] [RHQ]!’
Therfor whether it bihouede not also thee to haue merci on thin euen seruaunt, as Y hadde merci on thee?
34 The king was very angry. He handed this official over to some jailers who would torture him severely until he paid all of the debt that he owed.”
And his lord was wroth, and took hym to turmentouris, til he paiede al the dette.
35 [Then Jesus continued by saying], “That is what my Father in heaven will do to you if you do not [feel merciful and] sincerely forgive a fellow believer [who sins against you].”
So my fadir of heuene schal do to you, if ye foryyuen not euery man to his brother, of youre hertes.
