Matthew 18:3-35

3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you 1are converted and 2become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6but 3whoever 4causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it 5would be better for him to have a 6heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

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

8“8If 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 9to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 910If 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 11to have two eyes and be cast into the 1213fiery hell.

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that 14their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11[1516For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

12“What do you think? 17If 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? 13If 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. 14So it is not the will 18of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

15“19If your brother sins20, go and 21show him his fault 22in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that 23by the mouth of two or three witnesses every 24fact may be confirmed. 17If he refuses to listen to them, 25tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, 26let him be to you as 27a Gentile and 28a tax collector. 18Truly I say to you, 29whatever you 30bind on earth 31shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you 32loose on earth 33shall 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, 34it shall be done for them 35by My Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three have gathered together in My name, 36I am there in their midst.”

21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, 37how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to 38seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to 39seventy times seven.

23“For this reason 40the kingdom of heaven 41may be compared to a king who wished to 42settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him 43ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25But since he 4445did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him 46to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26So the slave fell to the ground and 47prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and 48forgave him the 49debt. 28But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred 50denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30But he was unwilling 51and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 3352Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 3553My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from 54your heart.”