Matthew 18:1-35
18 In that hour the disciples came near to Jesus and said: “Who really is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?”+
2 So, calling a young child to him, he set it in their midst+
3 and said: “Truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU turn around and become as young children,+ YOU will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.+
4 Therefore, whoever will humble+ himself like this young child is the one that is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens;+
5 and whoever receives one such young child on the basis of my name receives me [also].+
6 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone+ such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.+
7 “Woe to the world due to the stumbling blocks! Of course, the stumbling blocks must of necessity come,+ but woe to the man through whom the stumbling block+ comes!
8 If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you;+ it is finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to be thrown with two hands or two feet into the everlasting fire.+
9 Also, if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter one-eyed into life than to be thrown with two eyes into the fiery Ge·henʹna.*+
10 See to it that YOU men do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell YOU that their angels+ in heaven always behold the face of my Father* who is in heaven.+
11 * ——
12 “What do YOU think? If a certain man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them gets strayed,+ will he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying?+
13 And if he happens to find it, I certainly tell YOU, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed.+
14 Likewise it is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.+
15 “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault* between you and him alone.+ If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.+
16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter* may be established.*+
17 If he does not listen* to them, speak to the congregation.* If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations+ and as a tax collector.+
18 “Truly I say to YOU men, Whatever things YOU may bind on earth will be things bound* in heaven, and whatever things YOU may loose on earth will be things loosed* in heaven.+
19 Again I truly say to YOU, If two of YOU on earth agree concerning anything of importance that they should request, it will take place for them due to my Father in heaven.+
20 For where there are two or three gathered together in my name,+ there I am in their midst.”+
21 Then Peter came up and said to him: “Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him?+ Up to seven times?”+
22 Jesus said to him: “I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times.*+
23 “That is why the kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king,+ that wanted to settle accounts+ with his slaves.
24 When he started to settle them, there was brought in a man who owed him ten thousand talents [=60,000,000 de·narʹi·i].*
25 But because he did not have the means to pay [it] back, his master ordered him and his wife and his children and all the things he had to be sold and payment to be made.+
26 Therefore the slave fell down and began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay back everything to you.’
27 Moved to pity at this, the master of that slave let him off+ and canceled his debt.*+
28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves that was owing him a hundred de·narʹi·i;*+ and, grabbing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back whatever you owe.’
29 Therefore his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, ‘Be patient+ with me and I will pay you back.’
30 However, he was not willing, but went off and had him thrown into prison until he should pay back what was owing.
31 When, therefore, his fellow slaves saw the things that had happened, they became very much grieved, and they went and made clear to their master all the things that had happened.+
32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘Wicked slave, I canceled all that debt for you,* when you entreated me.
33 Ought you not, in turn, to have had mercy+ on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy+ on you?’
34 With that his master, provoked to wrath,+ delivered him to the jailers,* until he should pay back all that was owing.
35 In like manner+ my heavenly Father will also deal with YOU if YOU do not forgive each one his brother from YOUR hearts.”+
Footnotes
^ See App 4C.
^ Or, “always have access to my Father.”
^ אBSys omit; DWVgSyc,pArm, “For the Son of man came to save what was lost.”
^ Lit., “reprove him.”
^ Or, “everything said.”
^ Lit., “might stand.”
^ Or, “to the ecclesia (assembly).” Gr., tei ek·kle·siʹai; J17(Heb.), ʼel-haq·qa·halʹ.
^ Lit., “he should refuse to hear.”
^ Or, “things already bound,” the perfect passive participle.
^ Or, “things already loosed,” the perfect passive participle.
^ One talent of silver equaled 6,000 denarii. See App 8A.
^ Or, “forgave him the debt.”
^ See App 8A.
^ Or, “I forgave you all that debt.”
^ Or, “to the tormentors.” Gr., tois ba·sa·ni·staisʹ; Lat., tor·toʹri·bus.
