Matthew 18
1 Just then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who ranks higher than others in the Kingdom of the Heavens?"
At that time 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,
And he called a child to him, and set him in the midst 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, Truly do I say to you, Unless ye are changed, and become as children, ye will not enter 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 shall humble himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever for my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me.
And whoever receiveth one such child in my name, receiveth 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 shall cause one of these little ones that believe in me to fall away, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung round his neck, and be swallowed up in the depth 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 stumbling-blocks! For it must needs be that stumbling-blocks come; but woe to the man through whom the stumbling-block cometh!
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)
And if thy hand or thy foot is causing thee to fall, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed or lame, than having two hands, or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. (aiōnios g166)
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)
And if thine eye is causing thee to fall, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire. (Geenna g1067)
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.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
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 think ye? if a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them hath gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains, and go and seek that which hath 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.
And if it happen that he find it, truly do I say to you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
14 Just so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Thus 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.
Moreover, if thy brother sin, go and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he listen to thee, thou hast gained thy 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 do not listen, take with thee one or two more; that by 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.
And if he disregard them, tell the matter to the church; but if he disregard the church also, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican.
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.
Truly do I say to you, Whatever ye shall bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever ye shall loose on earth will be loosed 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, I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning any thing that they shall ask, it will be done for them by my Father o 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 am I in the midst 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 came Peter, 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 saith to him, I say not to thee, 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 likened to a king, who would settle accounts with his servants.
24 But as soon as he began the settlement, one was brought before him who owed 10,000 talents,
And when he had begun to reckon, there was brought to him one, 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 as he was unable to pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, and his wife and 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.'
Then that servant fell down and did obeisance to him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 "Whereupon his master, touched with compassion, set him free and forgave him the debt.
And 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 a hundred denaries; and he laid hold of him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.
29 "His fellow servant therefore fell at his feet and entreated him, "'Only give me time,' he said, 'and I will pay you.'
His fellow-servant then fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.
30 "He would not, however, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay what was due.
And he would not; but went away and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
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.
Then his fellow-servants, seeing what was done, were greatly grieved; and went and told their lord all that had been 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, having called him, saith to him, Thou wicked servant! All that debt I forgave thee because thou didst beseech me;
33 ought not you also to have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'
shouldst not thou also have had pity on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 "So his master, greatly incensed, handed him over to the jailers until he should pay all he owed him.
And his lord was enraged, and delivered him to the inflicters of punishment, till 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 also will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.
