Chapter 18

Rank in the Kingdom

1 aAt that 1time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “bWho then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 And He called a child to Himself and set him 1before them,

3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you 1are converted and abecome like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

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.

Discipline and Prayer

15 “aIf your brother sins1, go and 2show him his fault 3in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that aby the mouth of two or three witnesses every 1fact may be confirmed.

17 “If he refuses to listen to them, atell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, blet him be to you as 1a Gentile and 1a tax collector.

18 “Truly I say to you, awhatever you 1bind on earth 2shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you 3loose on earth 2shall have been loosed in heaven.

19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, ait shall be done for them 1by My Father who is in heaven.

20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, aI am there in their midst.”

Forgiveness

21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, ahow often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to bseven times?”

22 Jesus * said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to aseventy times seven.

23 “For this reason athe kingdom of heaven 1may be compared to a king who wished to bsettle accounts with his slaves.

24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him 1ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25 “But since he 1adid not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him bto be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26 “So the slave fell to the ground and aprostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’

27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and aforgave him the 1debt.

28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred 1denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’

29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’

30 “But he was unwilling 1and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32 “Then summoning him, his lord * said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33 ‘aShould you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’

34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35 “aMy heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from 1your heart.”