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 the disciples came to 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,

Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle 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, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way 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.

Whoever therefore humbles 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.

Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives 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 whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths 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 to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!

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.

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, 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.

If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna 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 you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see 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?

“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone 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.

If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-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.

“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your 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 doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses 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.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

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.

Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released 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, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by 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 I am in the middle 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 Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often 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 said to him, “I don’t tell you 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 the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.

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

When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who 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 because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his 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 knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

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

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 one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

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 at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

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

He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back 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 exceedingly sorry, and came and told to 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 in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.

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

Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

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

His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.

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 my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”