^18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ^18:2He called a child, had him stand among them, ^18:3and said, “I tell you the truth,¹ unless you turn around and become like little children,² you will never³ enter the kingdom of heaven! ^18:4Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ^18:5And whoever welcomes⁴ a child like this in my name welcomes me.

^18:6“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,⁵ it would be better for him to have a huge millstone⁶ hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.⁷^18:7Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It⁸ is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come. ^18:8If⁹ your hand or your foot causes you to sin,¹⁰ cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have¹¹ two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ^18:9And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have¹² two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.¹³

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

^18:10“See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.¹⁴

Read in Logos

Footnotes

1 Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
2 The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit, as well as willingness to be dependent and receive from others, than any inherent humility the child might possess.
3 The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mē) is very strong here.
4 This verb, δέχομαι (dechomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
5 The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
6 Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain ( μύλος 2; L&N 7.68–69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42. The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.
7 The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline ( πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”
8 Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
9 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10 In Greek there is a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in English here. The verb translated “causes … to sin” (σκανδαλίζω, skandalizō) comes from the same root as the word translated “stumbling blocks” (σκάνδαλον, skandalon) in the previous verse.
11 Grk “than having.”
12 Grk “than having.”
13 Grk “the Gehenna of fire.” See the note on the word hell in .
14 The most important (א B L* Θ* f1, 13 33 892* e ff1 sys sa) do not include 18:11 “For the Son of Man came to save the lost.” The verse is included in D Lmg W Θc 078vid 𝔐 lat syc,p,h, but is almost certainly not original, being borrowed, as it were, from the parallel in Luke 19:10. The present translation follows in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.