Matthew 18
1 Just then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who ranks higher than others in the Kingdom of the Heavens?"
In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 So He called a young child to Him, and, bidding him stand in the midst of them,
Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them
3 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.
and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this young child, he it is who is superior to others in the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 And whoever for my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me.
Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
6 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.
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea.
7 "Alas for the world because of causes of falling! They cannot but come, but alas for each man through whom they come!
“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
8 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)
If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the consummate (aiōnios g166) fire.
9 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)
If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna (Geenna g1067) of fire.
10 "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.
See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
12 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?
“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does not he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
13 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.
If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
14 Just so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 "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.
“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.
16 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.
But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 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.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.
18 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.
Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
19 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.
Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
20 For where there are two or three assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”
21 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?"
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
22 "I do not say seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven times.
Jesus said to him, “I do not tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
23 "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.
Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 But as soon as he began the settlement, one was brought before him who owed 10,000 talents,
When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 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.
But because he could not pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 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.'
The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’
27 "Whereupon his master, touched with compassion, set him free and forgave him the debt.
The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
28 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.'
“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
29 "His fellow servant therefore fell at his feet and entreated him, "'Only give me time,' he said, 'and I will pay you.'
“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’
30 "He would not, however, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay what was due.
He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.
31 His fellow servants, therefore, seeing what had happened, were exceedingly angry; and they came and told their master without reserve all that had happened.
So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.
32 At once his master called him and said, "'Wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you entreated me:
Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 ought not you also to have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'
Should not you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
34 "So his master, greatly incensed, handed him over to the jailers until he should pay all he owed him.
His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 "In the same way my Heavenly Father will deal with you, if you do not all of you forgive one another from your hearts."
So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you do not each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
