18Verse 1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven?”Verse 2So Jesus called over a little child, placed him among them,Verse 3and said,“Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.Verse 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is greater in the kingdom of heaven.Verse 5And whoever receives one little child such as this in my name receives me.Verse 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Temptations to Sin
Verse 7“Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, yet woe to+that man through whom the stumbling block comes!Verse 8If yoʋr hand or yoʋr foot causes yoʋ to stumble, cut+them off and throw them away from yoʋ. It is better for yoʋ to enter life+lame or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.Verse 9And if yoʋr eye causes yoʋ to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from yoʋ. It is better for yoʋ to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Verse 10“Be careful not to despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my Father in heaven.Verse 11+For the Son of Man came to save the lost.Verse 12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray,+does he not leave the other ninety-nine+and go seek on the mountains the one that has gone astray?Verse 13And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.Verse 14In the same way, it is not the will of+your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Restoring a Brother Who Sins Against Yoʋ
Verse 15“If yoʋr brother sins+against yoʋ, go show him his fault between yoʋ and him alone. If he listens to yoʋ, yoʋ have gained yoʋr brother.Verse 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others with yoʋ, so that every matter may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.Verse 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.Verse 18Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.Verse 19+Again, truly I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.Verse 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Verse 21Then Peter came+to Jesus and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he keeps sinning against me? Up to seven times?”Verse 22Jesus said to him,“Not, I tell yoʋ, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.Verse 23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.Verse 24As he began to settle accounts, one servant who had a debt of ten thousand talents was brought to him.Verse 25But since he did not have anything with which to repay the debt, his master commanded him to be sold along with his wife, his children, and all that he had, so that the debt could be repaid.Verse 26So the servant fell down and bowed before him, saying, ‘+Master, be patient with me, and I will repay yoʋ all that I owe.’Verse 27Moved with compassion, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.Verse 28But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Repay+me what yoʋ owe.’Verse 29So his fellow servant fell down+at his feet and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay+yoʋ.’Verse 30But he was not willing to do so. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.Verse 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed and went and reported to their master all that had happened.Verse 32Then the master summoned the servant and said to him, ‘Yoʋ evil servant! I forgave yoʋ all that debt because yoʋ begged me to do so.Verse 33Should yoʋ not also have had mercy on yoʋr fellow servant, even as I had mercy on yoʋ?’Verse 34And in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should repay all that was owed+him.Verse 35My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each one of you, from your hearts, does not forgive his brother+for his trespasses.”