< Matthew 18 >

1 In that hour the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 Yeshua called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them
And he took a little child, and put him in the middle of them,
3 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.
And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Whoever, then, will make himself as low as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
And whoever gives honour to one such little child in my name, gives honour to me:
6 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.
But whoever is a cause of trouble to one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have a great stone fixed to his neck, and to come to his end in the deep sea.
7 “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!
A curse is on the earth because of trouble! for it is necessary for trouble to come; but unhappy is that man through whom the trouble comes.
8 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 eternal fire. (aiōnios g166)
And if your hand or your foot is a cause of trouble, let it be cut off and put it away from you: it is better for you to go into life with the loss of a hand or a foot than, having two hands or two feet, to go into the eternal fire. (aiōnios g166)
9 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 Gehinnom of fire. (Geenna g1067)
And if your eye is a cause of trouble to you, take it out, and put it away from you: it is better for you to go into life with one eye than, having two eyes, to go into the hell of fire. (Geenna g1067)
10 See that you don’t 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.
Let it not seem to you that one of these little ones is of no value; for I say to you that in heaven their angels see at all times the face of my Father in heaven.
11 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
12 “What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
What would you say now? if a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone wandering away, will he not let the ninety-nine be, and go to the mountains in search of the wandering one?
13 If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
And if he comes across it, truly I say to you, he has more joy over it than over the ninety-nine which have not gone out of the way.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Even so it is not the pleasure of your Father in heaven for one of these little ones to come to destruction.
15 “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.
And if your brother does wrong to you, go, make clear to him his error between you and him in private: if he gives ear to you, you have got your brother back again.
16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
But if he will not give ear to you, take with you one or two more, that by the lips of two or three witnesses every word may be made certain.
17 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.
And if he will not give ear to them, let it come to the hearing of the church: and if he will not give ear to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-farmer.
18 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.
Truly I say to you, Whatever things are fixed by you on earth will be fixed in heaven: and whatever you make free on earth will be made free in heaven.
19 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.
Again, I say to you, that if two of you are in agreement on earth about anything for which they will make a request, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”
For where two or three are come together in my name, there am I among them.
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, what number of times may my brother do wrong against me, and I give him forgiveness? till seven times?
22 Yeshua said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
Jesus says to him, I say not to you, Till seven times; but, Till seventy times seven.
23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king, who went over his accounts with his servants.
24 When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
And at the start, one came to him who was in his debt for ten thousand talents.
25 But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
And because he was not able to make payment, his lord gave orders for him, and his wife, and his sons and daughters, and all he had, to be given for money, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’
So the servant went down on his face and gave him worship, saying, Lord, give me time to make payment and I will give you all.
27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
And the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, let him go, and made him free of the debt.
28 “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!’
But that servant went out, and meeting one of the other servants, who was in debt to him for one hundred pence, he took him by the throat, saying, Make payment of your debt.
29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’
So that servant went down on his face, requesting him and saying, Give me time and I will make payment to you.
30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.
And he would not: but went and put him into prison till he had made payment of the debt.
31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.
So when the other servants saw what was done they were very sad, and came and gave word to their lord of what had been done.
32 Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
Then his lord sent for him and said, You evil servant; I made you free of all that debt, because of your request to me:
33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
Was it not right for you to have mercy on the other servant, even as I had mercy on you?
34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.
And his lord was very angry, and put him in the hands of those who would give him punishment till he made payment of all the debt.
35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
So will my Father in heaven do to you, if you do not everyone, from your hearts, give forgiveness to his brother.

< Matthew 18 >