Matthew 18

Moffatt^{(i) 1} At that hour the disciples came and asked Jesus, "Who is greatest in the Realm of heaven?" ² So he called a child, set it among them, ³ and said, "I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like children, you will never get into the Realm of heaven at all. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Realm of heaven; ⁵ and whoever receives a little child like this for my sake, receives me. ⁶ But whoever is a hindrance to one of these little ones who believe in me, better for him to have a great mill-stone hung round his neck and be sunk in the deep sea. ⁷ Woe to the world for hindrances! Hindrances have to come, but — woe to the man by whom the hindrance does come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot is a hindrance to you, cut it off and throw it away; better be maimed or crippled and get into Life, than keep both feet or hands and be thrown into the everlasting fire. ⁹ If your eye is a hindrance to you, tear it out and throw it away; better get into Life with one eye than keep your two eyes and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna. ¹⁰ See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven always look on the face of my Father in heaven. ¹¹ — - ¹² Tell me, if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine sheep on the hills and go in search of the one that has strayed? ¹³ And if he happens to find it, I tell you he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should be lost. ¹⁵ If your brother sins [against you], go and reprove him, as between you and him alone. If he listens to you, then you have won your brother over; ¹⁶ but if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every case may be decided on the evidence of two or of three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church; and if he refuses to listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or a taxgatherer. ¹⁸ I tell you truly, Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. ¹⁹ I tell you another thing: if two of you agree on earth about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three have gathered in my name, I am there among them." ²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often is my brother to sin against me and be forgiven? Up to seven times?" ²² Jesus said to him, "Seven times? I say, seventy times seven! ²³ That is why the Realm of heaven may be compared to a king who resolved to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began the settlement, a debtor was brought in who owed him three million pounds; ²⁵ as he was unable to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he had, in payment of the sum. ²⁶ So the servant fell down and prayed him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you it all.' ²⁷ And out of pity for that servant his master released him and discharged his debt. ²⁸ But as that servant went away, he met one of his fellow-servants who owed him twenty pounds, and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay your debt!' ²⁹ So his fellow-servant fell down and implored him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' ³⁰ But he refused; he went and had him thrown into prison, till he should pay the debt. ³¹ Now when his fellow-servants saw what had happened they were greatly distressed, and they went and explained to their master all that had happened. ³² Then his master summoned him and said, 'You scoundrel of a servant! I discharged all that debt for you, because you implored me. ³³ Ought you not to have had mercy on your fellow-servant, as I had on you?' ³⁴ And in hot anger his master handed him over to the torturers, till he should pay him all the debt. ³⁵ My heavenly Father will do the same to you unless you each forgive your brother from the heart."