5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

6 but awhoever bcauses one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it 1would be better for him to have a 2heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For ait is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8 “aIf your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than 1to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

9 “aIf your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than 1to have two eyes and be cast into the 2bfiery hell.

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that atheir angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 [“1aFor the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

12 “What do you think? aIf any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

13 “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

14 “So it is not the will 1of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.