1 A t that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 A nd He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,

And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them,

3 A nd said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven.

and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 W hoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 A nd whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me:

6 B ut whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better ( more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.

But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

7 W oe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes!

Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!

8 A nd if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.

And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

9 A nd if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire.

And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

10 B eware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.

See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

11 F or the Son of man came to save '> from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.

For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.

12 W hat do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?

How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray?

13 A nd if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.

14 J ust so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish.

Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

15 I f your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 B ut if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

17 I f he pays no attention to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.

18 T ruly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.

Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 A gain I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever '> everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.

20 F or wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I Am in the midst of them.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

21 T hen Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? up to seven times?

Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

22 J esus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.

23 T herefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.

24 W hen he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10, 000 talents,

And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.

25 A nd because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 S o the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.

The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 A nd his master’s heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt.

And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 B ut that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe!

But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

29 S o his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all!

So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

30 B ut he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt.

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.

31 W hen his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master.

So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 T hen his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me:

33 A nd should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you?

shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?

34 A nd in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.

35 S o also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.

So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.