Matthew 18
18
The Most Important Person in the Kingdom
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2Jesus called a little child over and had them stand in the middle of the group. 3Jesus then said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever becomes humble like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And anyone who welcomes a child like this one in my name welcomes me.
Don’t Cause People to Sin
6“But what if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around their neck and drown at the bottom. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Things like that must come. Woe to the person who causes them! 8If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter life with only one hand or foot than to go with two hands or two feet into hell, where the fire burns forever. 9If your eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into the fire of hell with two eyes.
The Story of the Lost Sheep
10-11“Make sure you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I tell you, their angels in heaven see face to face my Father who is in heaven.
12“What do you think? Suppose a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders away. Won’t he leave the 99 sheep on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? 13Truly I tell you, if he finds that sheep, he’ll be happier about it than about the 99 that didn’t wander off. 14It’s the same with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.
When Someone Sins Against You
15“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell them privately what they’ve done wrong. If they listen to you, you’ve won them back. 16But if they won’t listen to you, return with one or two others. Scripture says, ‘Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.’ 17If they still refuse to listen, then tell it to the community of believers. And if they refuse to listen even to the community, then treat them the way you would treat an unbeliever or a traitor.
18“Truly I tell you, what you tie up on earth will be tied up in heaven, and what you set free on earth will be set free in heaven.
19“Again, I tell you truly, if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.”
The Servant Who Had No Mercy
21Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive a brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “Not seven times, I tell you, but 77 times.
23“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. 24First, they brought him a man who owed 10,000 bags of gold. 25Since he wasn’t able to pay, his master ordered the man, his wife, his children, and everything he owned to be sold to pay back the debt.
26“Then the servant got down on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged, ‘and I’ll pay everything back.’ 27His master felt sorry for him, so he forgave him what he owed and let him go.
28“But then that servant went out and found another servant, who owed him 100 silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29“The other servant got down on his knees. ‘Give me time,’ he begged him, ‘and I’ll pay it back.’
30“But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he paid back what he owed. 31When the other servants saw this, it made them very angry. They went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the first servant back in. ‘You ungrateful servant,’ he said. ‘I forgave you everything you owed because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34The master was so angry that handed him over to the jailers to be punished until he paid back everything he owed.
35“That’s how my Father in heaven will treat each of you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
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Matthew 18
18
CHAPTER 18
1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, and said, Who, guessest thou, is [the] greater in the kingdom of heavens?
2And Jesus called a little child, and put him in the middle [or in the midst] of them;
3and said, I say truth to you [or Truly I say to you], but ye be turned, and [be] made as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heavens.
4Therefore whoever meeketh him-[self] as this little child, he is greater in the kingdom of heavens.
5And he that receiveth one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
6But whoso causeth to stumble one of these small [or these little], that believe in me, it speedeth to him, that a millstone of asses be hanged in his neck, and he be drenched or drowned in the deepness of the sea.
7Woe to the world, for causes of stumbling; for it is needed, that causes of stumbling come; nevertheless woe to that man by whom a cause of stumbling cometh.
8And if thine hand or thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it away from thee. It is better to thee to enter [in] to life feeble, either crooked, than having twain hands or two feet to be sent into everlasting fire.
9And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, pull it out, and cast it away from thee. It is better to thee, with one eye to enter into life, than having twain eyes to be sent into the fire of hell [or into hellfire].
10See ye, that ye despise not one of these little. For I say to you [or Truly I say to you], that the angels of them in heavens see evermore the face of my Father that is in heavens.
11For man’s Son came to save that thing that perished.
12What seemeth to you? If there were to a man an hundred sheep, and one of them hath erred, whether he shall not leave ninety and nine in desert [or in the hills], and shall go to seek that that erred?
13And if it fall that he find it, truly I say to you, that he shall have joy thereof [or for he shall joy thereon], more than on ninety and nine that erred not.
14So it is not the will of your Father that is in heavens [or in heaven], that one of these little perish.
15But if thy brother sinneth against thee, go thou, and reprove him, betwixt thee and him alone; if he heareth thee, thou hast won thy brother.
16And if he heareth thee not, take with thee one or twain that every word stand in the mouth of twain or three witnesses.
17And if he heareth not them, say thou to the church. But if he heareth not the church, be he as a heathen and a publican to thee.
18I say to you truly, whatever things ye bind on earth, those shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever things ye unbind on earth, those shall be unbound also in heaven.
19Again I say to you, that if twain of you consent on earth, of everything whatever they ask, it shall be done to them of my Father that is in heavens.
20For where twain or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them. [For where two or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.]
21Then Peter came to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I shall forgive him? Whether till seven times?
22Jesus saith to him, I say not to thee, till seven times; but till [or to] seventy times seven times.
23Therefore the kingdom of heavens is likened to a king that would reckon with his servants.
24And when he began to reckon, one that owed to him ten thousand talents [or bezants], was brought to him.
25And when he had not whereof to yield, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all things that he had, and to be paid.
26But that servant felled down, and prayed him, and said, have patience in me, and I shall yield to thee all things.
27And the lord had mercy on that servant, and suffered him to go [or delivered him], and forgave him the debt.
28But that servant went out, and found one of his even-servants, that owed him an hundred pence; and he held him, and strangled him, and said, Yield that that thou owest.
29And his even-servant fell down, and prayed him, and said, have patience in me, and I shall requite all things to thee.
30But he would not; but went out, and put [or sent] him into prison, till he paid all the debt.
31And his even-servants, seeing the things that were done, sorrowed greatly. And they came, and told to their lord all the things that were done.
32Then his lord called him, and said to him, Wicked servant, I forgave to thee all the debt, for thou prayedest me.
33Therefore whether it behooved not also thee to have mercy on thine even-servant, as I had mercy on thee?
34And his lord was wroth, and took him to tormentors, till he paid all the debt.
35So my Father of heaven shall do to you, if ye forgive not every man to his brother, of your hearts.
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