18Verse 1At that time the disciples approached Jesus saying, “Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?”Verse 2So Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,Verse 3and said: “Assuredly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of the heavens.Verse 4Therefore whoever will humble himself like this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens.
About offenses
Verse 5“Whoever receives one little child like this in my name, receives me;Verse 6but whoever should cause one of these little ones who believe into me+to fall, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung on his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea!+Verse 7Woe to the world because of offenses! Now it is necessary that offenses come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes!Verse 8“If your hand or your foot is causing you to fall, cut them off and throw them away! It is better for you to enter into the life lame or maimed than to be thrown into the everlasting fire, having two hands or two feet.Verse 9And if your eye is causing you to fall, tear it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter into the life one eyed than to be thrown into the fiery Hell, having two eyes.+
God loves children
Verse 10“See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father, who is in the heavens.+Verse 11For the Son of the Man came to save the lost.+Verse 12What do you think? If some man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains+to go and search for the stray?Verse 13And if he happens to find it, assuredly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.Verse 14Likewise it is not a desire, in the view of your Father in heaven, that one of these little ones should be wasted.+
Handling a recalcitrant brother
Verse 15“Now if your brother sins against you, go, confront him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have won your brother.Verse 16But should he not hear, take along with you one or two more, so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.Verse 17And should he refuse to hear them, tell it to the congregation. But should he refuse to hear even the congregation, let him be to you just like the heathen and the tax collector.+
Agreeing in prayer
Verse 18“Assuredly I say to you, whatever (pl.) you (pl.) may bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.+Verse 19Assuredly again, I say to you that if two of you should agree on earth about any subject whatever that they may ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.+Verse 20Because where there are two or three gathered together into my name, there I am in their midst!”+
About forgiveness
Verse 21Then Peter approached Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him; up to seven times?”Verse 22Jesus says to him: “Not, I tell you, up to seven, but up to seventy-seven times!+Verse 23“Therefore the kingdom of the heavens is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.Verse 24And as he began to settle up, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him.Verse 25But since he had nothing with which to repay, his lord commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and everything he had, so as to be repaid.Verse 26So then the servant fell down and did obeisance to him saying, ‘Lord, be patient with me and I will repay you all.’Verse 27So the lord of that servant, having compassion, released him and forgave him the loan.Verse 28“But when that servant went out he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and grabbing him he started choking him saying, ‘Pay me back what you owe!’Verse 29So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and kept begging him saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay you back.’+Verse 30But he would not; instead he went and threw him into prison until he should pay back what was owed.Verse 31But when his fellow servants saw what had happened they were really grieved, and they went and reported to their lord everything that had happened.Verse 32Then summoning him the lord says to him: ‘Malignant servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.Verse 33Were you also not obligated+to have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’Verse 34So in anger the lord handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed to him.Verse 35“My heavenly Father will handle you just like that, if each of you does not forgive his brother his trespasses, from the heart.”+