The Gospel According to Matthew, Chapter 18
{18:1} In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then
is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
{18:2} Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the
midst of them, {18:3} and said, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless you
turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven. {18:4} Whoever therefore humbles himself as this
little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
{18:5} Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
{18:6} but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me
to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be
hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the
sea.
{18:7} "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! {18:8} 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. {18:9} 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 [1>]Gehenna[<1] of fire. {18:10} 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. {18:11} For
the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
{18:12} "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? {18:13} If he finds
it, most assuredly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the
ninety-nine which have not gone astray. {18:14} Even so it is not the
will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish.
{18:15} "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. {18:16} 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. {18:17} 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. {18:18} Most assuredly I tell
you, whatever things you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever things you will release on earth will be released in
heaven. {18:19} 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. {18:20} For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
{18:21} Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"
{18:22} Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but,
until seventy times seven. {18:23} Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is
like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his
servants. {18:24} When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to
him who owed him [2>]ten thousand talents.[<2] {18:25} 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. {18:26} The
servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, 'Lord,
have patience with me, and I will repay you all!' {18:27} The lord of
that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt.
{18:28} "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow
servants, who owed him [3>]one hundred denarii,[<3] and he grabbed
him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
{18:29} "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you!' {18:30} He
would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back
that which was due. {18:31} So when his fellow servants saw what was
done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all
that was done. {18:32} Then his lord called him in, and said to him,
'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged
me. {18:33} Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant,
even as I had mercy on you?' {18:34} His lord was angry, and delivered
him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.
{18:35} So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each
forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."
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Footnotes:
[1] {18:9} or, Hell
[2] {18:24} Ten thousand talents represents an extremely large sum of
money, equivalent to about 60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was
typical of one day's wages for agricultural labor.
[3] {18:28} 100 denarii was about one sixtieth of a talent.
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