Matthew 18

AUV^{(i) 1} At that very time His disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who then is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?” ² So, He called to Him a little child and placed him in front of them, ³ and said, “Truly I tell you, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven unless you turn [your life around] and become like little children [i.e., having child-like humility]. ⁴ Therefore, the person who will humble himself, as this little child, is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And the person who welcomes one little child like this, in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also]. ⁶ But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This “millstone” was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle]. ⁷ “It will be too bad for the world because of occasions that cause people to fall away [from God]! For it is inevitable that such occasions come, but it is too bad for that person who is responsible for causing it to happen. ⁸ If your hand or your foot becomes the occasion for you falling away [from God], cut them off and throw them away. It would be better for you to enter [never ending] life disabled or crippled, rather than keeping both hands and both feet and being thrown into the never ending fire [i.e., because they caused you to fall away from God]. ⁹ And if your eye becomes the occasion for you falling away [from God], gouge it out and throw it away, for it would be better for you to enter [never ending] life with [only] one eye, rather than keeping both eyes and being thrown into a fiery hell [i.e., because one of them caused you to fall away from God]. ¹⁰ Make sure you do not look down on any one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of Christ]. For I tell you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. {[{[Some ancient manuscripts include verse ¹¹ For the Son of man came to save those who were lost.]}]} ¹² What do you think? If anyone had a hundred sheep, and one of them wandered away, would he not leave the ninety-nine [safe ones] and go to the mountains looking for the one that wandered away? ¹³ Truly I tell you, if he happens to find it, he is happier over it than over the ninety-nine that had not wandered away. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that [a single] one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of Christ] should be lost. ¹⁵ “And if your brother sins against you, go and show him where he wronged you, [but] keep it between just the two of you. If he listens to you [i.e., accepts your reasoning and repents], you have won your brother [back]. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen [to your reasoning], take one or two other people with you, so that two or three witnesses can verify every word [that was said]. ¹⁷ And if he refuses to listen to them [i.e., the witnesses], explain the [whole] matter to the church [i.e., probably a specially called meeting of mature Christians to resolve the matter]. And if he refuses to listen to the church also, [i.e., to acknowledge his sin and repent of it], consider him like an [unconverted] Gentile or tax collector [i.e., do not have fellowship with him]. ¹⁸ Truly I tell you, whatever [truth] you disciples require [of people to believe and obey] on earth will have [already] been required [by God] in heaven. And whatever [truth] you do not require [of people to believe and obey] on earth, will not have [already] been required [by God] in heaven. ¹⁹ I tell you again, if two of you agree [here] on earth concerning anything you ask for [i.e., in prayer], God in heaven will grant it to you. ²⁰ For I am in the presence of two or three [disciples] wherever they are gathered in my name.” ²¹ Then Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus replied, “I tell you, not [just] up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven [i.e., a large indefinite number of times]. ²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is similar to a certain king who decided to settle his account with his servants. ²⁴ When he began figuring, one of his servants, who owed him a huge sum of money [Note: The amount is variously estimated to be as much as $50,000,000 in 1994], was brought to him. ²⁵ But since he did not have enough [money] to pay [what he owed], his master ordered that he, his wife, his children and all his possessions be sold [in order] to pay [his debt]. ²⁶ The servant then fell to the ground [before his master] and humbly implored him, saying, ‘Master, [please] be patient with me and I will repay you everything [I owe].’ ²⁷ And the master of that servant felt deep pity [for him], so released him [from custody] and canceled his debt. ²⁸ But that [same] servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a small sum of money [Note: The amount was about 100 days of a farm laborer’s pay or about $7,000 in 1994]. He grabbed him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay [me] what you owe.’ ²⁹ His fellow-servant fell [on the ground before him] and begged him, saying, ‘[Please] be patient with me and I will repay you [all I owe you].’ ³⁰ But he would not do it. Instead, he took him and had him thrown into prison until he paid [him] all he owed. ³¹ When his fellow-servants saw what he had done, they were very upset and went and told their master everything that had happened. ³² Then his master called for him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I canceled all of your debt because you begged me to. ³³ Should you not also have had pity on your fellow-servant just as I pitied you?’ ³⁴ His master then became furious and turned him over [to the authorities] to be punished until he paid all that he owed. ³⁵ In the same way my heavenly Father will also deal with you [i.e., punish you] unless every one of you forgives his brother from the heart.”