Matthew 18 — FBV
18Verse 1Around that time the disciples came to Jesus, and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”Verse 2Jesus called over a small child. He had the child stand in front of them.Verse 3“I tell you the truth, unless you change the way you think and become like little children, you won't ever enter the kingdom of heaven,” he told them.Verse 4“But whoever humbles themselves and becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Verse 5Whoever accepts a little child like this in my name accepts me.Verse 6But anyone who makes one of these little ones who trust in me sin, it would be better for them to have a large millstone+tied around their neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.Verse 7What a disaster is coming on the world for all its temptations to sin! Temptations will surely come, but it will be a disaster for the person through whom the temptation comes!Verse 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to enter eternal life crippled or lame rather than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into eternal fire.Verse 9If your eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away. It's better for you to enter eternal life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the fire of Gehenna.+Verse 10Make sure you don't look down on these little ones. I tell you that in heaven their angels are always with+my heavenly Father.Verse 11+Verse 12What do you think about this? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders off, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that's wandered away?Verse 13And if he finds it, I tell you he really rejoices over that sheep more than the ninety-nine that didn't wander away.Verse 14In the same way my heavenly Father does not want any of these little ones to be lost.Verse 15If a brother+sins against you,+go and point out the wrong to him, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you've won your brother over.Verse 16But if he doesn't listen, then take one or two more people with you, so that by two or three witnesses the truth can be confirmed.+Verse 17If, however, he refuses to listen to them, then tell the church. If he refuses to listen to the church as well, then treat him as a foreigner+and a tax collector.Verse 18I tell you the truth, whatever you ban on earth will have been banned in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth will have been allowed in heaven.Verse 19I also tell you that if two of you agree here on earth about something you're praying for, then my heavenly Father will do it for you.Verse 20For where two or three gather together in my name, I'm there with them.”Verse 21Peter came to Jesus and asked him, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother for sinning against me? Seven times?”Verse 22“No, not seven times. I would say seventy times seven!” Jesus told him.Verse 23“This is why the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with those servants who owed him money.Verse 24As he began to settle accounts, one servant was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.+Verse 25Since he didn't have the money to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all his possessions, so that the debt could be paid back.Verse 26The servant fell down on his knees and said to his master, ‘Please be patient with me! I will pay everything back!’Verse 27The master took pity on the servant, released him, and canceled the debt.Verse 28But when that same servant went out he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him just a hundred denarii.+He grabbed him by the neck and choked him, saying, ‘Pay me back what you owe me!’Verse 29His fellow-servant threw himself down at the man's feet and begged him, ‘Please be patient with me! I will pay you back!’Verse 30But the man refused, and went and threw his fellow-servant into prison until he paid back what he owed.Verse 31When the other servants saw what took place they were shocked and upset. They went and told their master everything that had happened.Verse 32Then the master called the man back in and told him, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you all your debt because you begged me to.Verse 33Shouldn't you have been merciful to your fellow-servant as well, just as I was merciful to you?’Verse 34His master became angry and handed him over to the jailors until he had repaid all the debt.Verse 35This is what my heavenly Father will do to every one of you unless you sincerely+forgive your brothers.”