Matthew 18

Rank in the Kingdom

11At that 2timeG5610 the disciplesG3101 cameG4334 to JesusG2424 and saidG3004, “3WhoG5101 thenG686 is greatestG3173 in the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772?” 2And He calledG4341 a childG3813 to Himself and setG2476 him 4beforeG1722G3319 them, 3and saidG3004, “TrulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, unlessG1437G3361 you 5are convertedG4762 and 6becomeG1096 likeG5613 childrenG3813, you will not enterG1525 the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772. 4WhoeverG3748 thenG3767 humblesG5013 himselfG1438 as thisG3778 childG3813, he is the greatestG3173 in the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772. 5And whoeverG3739G1437 receivesG1209 oneG1520 suchG5108 childG3813 in My nameG3686 receivesG1209 Me; 6but 7whoeverG3739G302 8causesG4624 oneG1520 of theseG3778 littleG3398 onesG3398 who believeG4100 in Me to stumbleG4624, it 9would be betterG4851 for him to have a 10heavyG3684 millstoneG3458 hungG2910 aroundG4012 his neckG5137, and to be drownedG2670 in the depthG3989 of the seaG2281.

Stumbling Blocks

7“WoeG3759 to the worldG2889 becauseG575 of its stumblingG4625 blocksG4625! For 11it is inevitableG318 that stumblingG4625 blocksG4625 comeG2064; but woeG3759 to that manG444 throughG1223 whomG3739 the stumblingG4625 blockG4625 comesG2064!

8“12IfG1487 your handG5495 orG2228 your footG4228 causesG4624 you to stumbleG4624, cutG1581 it offG1581 and throwG906 it from you; it is betterG2570 for you to enterG1525 lifeG2222 crippledG2948 orG2228 lameG5560, thanG2228 13to haveG2192 twoG1417 handsG5495 orG2228 twoG1417 feetG4228 and be castG906 into the eternalG166 fireG4442. 914IfG1487 your eyeG3788 causesG4624 you to stumbleG4624, pluckG1807 it out and throwG906 it from you. It is betterG2570 for you to enterG1525 lifeG2222 with oneG3442 eyeG3442, thanG2228 15to haveG2192 twoG1417 eyesG3788 and be castG906 into the 1617fieryG4442 hellG1067.

10“SeeG3708 that you do not despiseG2706 oneG1520 of theseG3778 littleG3398 onesG3398, for I sayG3004 to you that 18their angelsG32 in heavenG3772 continuallyG1223G3956 seeG3708 the faceG4383 of My FatherG3962 who is in heavenG3772. 11[1920For the SonG5207 of ManG444 has comeG2064 to saveG4982 that which was lostG622.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

12“WhatG5101 do you thinkG1380? 21IfG1437 anyG5100 manG444 hasG1096 a hundredG1540 sheepG4263, and oneG1520 of them has goneG4105 astrayG4105, does he not leaveG863 the ninety-nineG1752G1767 on the mountainsG3735 and goG4198 and searchG2212 for the one that is strayingG4105? 13IfG1437 it turnsG1096 out that he findsG2147 it, trulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, he rejoicesG5463 overG1909 it moreG3123 thanG2228 overG1909 the ninety-nineG1752G1767 which have not goneG4105 astrayG4105. 14SoG3379 it is not the willG2307 22of your FatherG3962 who is in heavenG3772 that oneG1520 of theseG3778 littleG3398 onesG3398 perishG622.

Discipline and Prayer

15“23IfG1437 your brotherG80 sinsG26424, goG5217 and 25showG1651 him his faultG1651 26in privateG3441; ifG1437 he listensG191 to you, you have wonG2770 your brotherG80. 16But ifG1437 he does not listenG191 to you, takeG3880 oneG1520 orG2228 twoG1417 moreG2089 with you, soG2443 that 27by the mouthG4750 of twoG1417 orG2228 threeG5140 witnessesG3144 everyG3956 28factG4487 may be confirmedG2476. 17IfG1437 he refusesG3878 to listenG3878 to them, 29tellG3004 it to the churchG1577; and ifG1437 he refusesG3878 to listenG3878 evenG2532 to the churchG1577, 30let him be to you as 31a GentileG1482 and 32a taxG5057 collectorG5057. 18TrulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, 33whateverG3745G1437 you 34bindG1210 on earthG1093 35shall have been boundG1210 in heavenG3772; and whateverG3745G1437 you 36looseG3089 on earthG1093 37shall have been loosedG3089 in heavenG3772.

19“AgainG3825 I sayG3004 to you, that ifG1437 twoG1417 of you agreeG4856 on earthG1093 aboutG4012 anythingG3956G4229 that they may askG154, 38it shall be doneG1096 for them 39by My FatherG3962 who is in heavenG3772. 20For whereG3757 twoG1417 orG2228 threeG5140 have gatheredG4863 togetherG4863 in My nameG3686, 40I amG1510 thereG1563 in their midstG3319.”

Forgiveness

21ThenG5119 PeterG4074 cameG4334 and saidG3004 to Him, “LordG2962, 41howG4212 oftenG4212 shall my brotherG80 sinG264 againstG1519 me and I forgiveG863 him? Up to 42sevenG2034 timesG2034?” 22JesusG2424 saidG3004 to him, “I do not sayG3004 to you, up to sevenG2034 timesG2034, but up to 43seventyG1441 timesG1441 sevenG2033.

23“For thisG3778 reasonG1223 44the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772 45may be comparedG3666 to a kingG935 whoG3739 wishedG2309 to 46settleG4868 accountsG3056 with his slavesG1401. 24When he had begunG757 to settleG4868 them, oneG1520 who owedG3781 him 47tenG3463 thousandG3463 talentsG5007 was broughtG4317 to him. 25But since he 4849did not haveG2192 the means to repayG591, his lordG2962 commandedG2753 him 50to be soldG4097, alongG2532 with his wifeG1135 and childrenG5043 and allG3956 that he hadG2192, and repaymentG591 to be madeG591. 26SoG3767 the slaveG1401 fellG4098 to the ground and 51prostratedG4352 himselfG4352 beforeG4352 him, sayingG3004, ‘HaveG3114 patienceG3114 with me and I will repayG591 you everythingG3956.’ 27And the lordG2962 of that slaveG1401 feltG4697 compassionG4697 and releasedG630 him and 52forgaveG863 him the 53debtG1156. 28But that slaveG1401 wentG1831 out and foundG2147 oneG1520 of his fellowG4889 slavesG4889 whoG3739 owedG3784 him a hundredG1540 54denariiG1220; and he seizedG2902 him and began to chokeG4155 him, sayingG3004, ‘PayG591 backG591 whatG5101 you oweG3784.’ 29SoG3767 his fellowG4889 slaveG4889 fellG4098 to the ground and began to pleadG3870 with him, sayingG3004, ‘HaveG3114 patienceG3114 with me and I will repayG591 you.’ 30But he was unwillingG3756G2309 55and wentG565 and threwG906 him in prisonG5438 untilG2193 he should payG591 backG591 whatG3588 was owedG3784. 31SoG3767 when his fellowG4889 slavesG4889 sawG3708 whatG3588 had happenedG1096, they were deeplyG4970 grievedG3076 and cameG2064 and reportedG1285 to their lordG2962 allG3956 that had happenedG1096. 32ThenG5119 summoningG4341 him, his lordG2962 saidG3004 to him, ‘You wickedG4190 slaveG1401, I forgaveG863 you allG3956 that debtG3782 becauseG1893 you pleadedG3870 with me. 3356ShouldG1163 you not alsoG2532 have hadG1653 mercyG1653 on your fellowG4889 slaveG4889, in the sameG5613 wayG5613 that I hadG1653 mercyG1653 on you?’ 34And his lordG2962, movedG3710 with angerG3710, handedG3860 him overG3860 to the torturersG930 untilG2193 he should repayG591 allG3956 that was owedG3784 him. 3557My heavenlyG3770 FatherG3962 will alsoG2532 doG4160 the sameG3779 to you, ifG1437 eachG1538 of you does not forgiveG863 his brotherG80 from 58your heartG2588.”