Matthew 18

Rank in the Kingdom

11At that 2timeG5610 the disciplesG3101 cameG4334 to JesusG2424 and saidG3004, “3WhoG5101 thenG686 is greatestG3173 inG686 the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772?” 2And He calledG4341 a childG3813 to Himself and setG2476 him amongG1722G3319 them, 3and saidG3004, “TrulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, unlessG1437G3361 you 4changeG4762 and 5becomeG1096 likeG5613 childrenG3813, you will not enterG1525 the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772. 4SoG3767 whoeverG3748 will humbleG5013 himselfG1438 likeG5613 thisG3778 childG3813, he is the greatestG3173 in the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772. 5And whoeverG3739G1437 receivesG1209 oneG1520 suchG5108 childG3813 in My nameG3686, receivesG1209 Me; 6but 6whoeverG3739G302 7causesG4624 oneG1520 of theseG3778 littleG3398 onesG3398 who believeG4100 in Me toG4624 8sinG4624, it isG4851 betterG4851 for him that a 9heavyG3684 millstoneG3458 be hungG2910 aroundG4012 his neckG5137, and that he be drownedG2670 in the depthsG3989 of the seaG2281.

Stumbling Blocks

7“WoeG3759 to the worldG2889 becauseG575 of its 10stumblingG4625 blocksG4625! For 11it is inevitableG318 that 12stumblingG4625 blocksG4625 comeG2064; but woeG3759 to the personG444 throughG1223 whomG3739 the 13stumblingG4625 blockG4625 comesG2064!

8“And 14ifG1487 your handG5495 orG2228 your footG4228 is causingG4624 you toG4624 sinG4624, cutG1581 it offG1581 and throwG906 it awayG575 from you; it is betterG2570 for you to enterG1525 lifeG2222 maimedG2948 orG2228 withoutG5560 aG5560 footG5560, thanG2228 to haveG2192 twoG1417 handsG5495 orG2228 twoG1417 feetG4228 and be thrownG906 into the eternalG166 fireG4442. 9And 15ifG1487 your eyeG3788 is causingG4624 you toG4624 sinG4624, tearG1807 it outG1807 and throwG906 it awayG575 from you. It is betterG2570 for you to enterG1525 lifeG2222 with oneG3442 eyeG3442, thanG2228 to haveG2192 twoG1417 eyesG3788 and be thrownG906 into the 1617fieryG4442 hellG1067.

10“SeeG3708 that you do not lookG2706 downG2706 onG2706 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 heavenG3772.19

Ninety-nine Plus One

12“WhatG5101 do you thinkG1380? 20IfG1437 anyG5100 manG444 hasG1096 a hundredG1540 sheepG4263, and oneG1520 of them goesG4105 astrayG4105, will he not leaveG863 the ninety-nineG1752G1767 on the mountainsG3735, and goG4198 and searchG2212 forG2212 the one that is lostG4105? 13And ifG1437 it turnsG1096 outG1096 that he findsG2147 it, trulyG281 I sayG3004 to you, he rejoicesG5463 overG1909 it moreG3123 thanG2228 overG1909 the ninety-nineG1752G1767 that have not goneG4105 astrayG4105. 14SoG3779 it is not the willG2307 21of your FatherG3962 who is in heavenG3772 for oneG1520 of theseG3778 littleG3398 onesG3398 to perishG622.

Discipline and Prayer

15“NowG1161 22ifG1437 your brotherG80 sinsG26423, goG5217 and 24showG1651 him his faultG1651 25in privateG3441; ifG1437 he listensG191 to you, you have gainedG2770 your brotherG80. 16But ifG1437 he does not listenG191 to you, takeG3880 oneG1520 orG2228 twoG1417 moreG2089 with you, soG2443 thatG2443 26on the 27testimonyG4750 of twoG1417 orG2228 threeG5140 witnessesG3144 everyG3956 28matterG4487 may be confirmedG2476. 17And ifG1437 he refusesG3878 toG3878 listenG3878 to them, 29tellG3004 it to the churchG1577; and ifG1437 he refusesG3878 toG3878 listenG3878 evenG2532 to the churchG1577, 30he is to 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 upG4334 and saidG3004 to Him, “LordG2962, 41howG4212 manyG4212 timesG4212 shall my brotherG80 sinG264 againstG1519 me and I still forgiveG863 him? Up to 42sevenG2034 timesG2034?” 22JesusG2424 saidG3004 to him, “I do not sayG3004 to you, up to sevenG2034 timesG2034, but up to 4344seventy-sevenG1441G2033 timesG1441.

23“For thisG3778 reasonG1223 45the kingdomG932 of heavenG3772 46isG3666 likeG3666 a kingG935 whoG3739 wantedG2309 to 47settleG4868 accountsG3056 with his slavesG1401. 24And when he had begunG757 to settleG4868 them, oneG1520 who owedG3781 him 48tenG3463 thousandG3463 talentsG5007 was broughtG4317 to him. 25But since he 4950did not haveG2192 the means to repayG591, his masterG2962 commandedG2753 that he 51be soldG4097, alongG2532 with his wifeG1135 and childrenG5043 and allG3956 that he hadG2192, and repaymentG591 be madeG591. 26SoG3767 the slaveG1401 fellG4098 to the ground and 52prostratedG4352 himselfG4352 beforeG4352 him, sayingG3004, ‘HaveG3114 patienceG3114 with me and I will repayG591 you everythingG3956.’ 27And the masterG2962 of that slaveG1401 feltG4697 compassionG4697, and he releasedG630 him and 53forgaveG863 him the 54debtG1156. 28But that slaveG1401 wentG1831 outG1831 and foundG2147 oneG1520 of his fellowG4889 slavesG4889 whoG3739 owedG3784 him a hundredG1540 55denariiG1220; 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, 56and wentG565 and threwG906 him in prisonG5438 untilG2193 he would payG591 backG591 whatG3588 was owedG3784. 31SoG3767 when his fellowG4889 slavesG4889 sawG3708 whatG3588 had happenedG1096, they were deeplyG4970 grievedG3076 and cameG2064 and reportedG1285 to their masterG2962 allG3956 that had happenedG1096. 32ThenG5119 summoningG4341 him, his masterG2962 saidG3004 to him, ‘You wickedG4190 slaveG1401, I forgaveG863 you allG3956 that debtG3782 becauseG1893 you pleadedG3870 with me. 3357ShouldG1163 you not alsoG2532 have hadG1653 mercyG1653 on your fellowG4889 slaveG4889, in the sameG5613 wayG5613 that I hadG1653 mercyG1653 on you?’ 34And his masterG2962, movedG3710 withG3710 angerG3710, handedG3860 him overG3860 to the 58torturersG930 untilG2193 he would repayG591 allG3956 that was owedG3784 him. 3559My heavenlyG3770 FatherG3962 will alsoG2532 doG4160 the sameG3779 to you, ifG1437 eachG1538 of you does not forgiveG863 his brotherG80 from your 60heartG2588.”