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

At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, `Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'

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

And Jesus having called near a child, did 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 to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;

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

whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the reign of the heavens.

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 he who may receive one such child in my name, doth receive 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.

and whoever may cause to stumble one of those little ones who are believing in me, it is better for him that a weighty millstone may be hanged upon his neck, and he may 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!

`Wo to the world from the stumbling-blocks! for there is a necessity for the stumbling-blocks to come, but wo to that man through whom the stumbling-block doth come!

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 doth cause thee to stumble, cut them off and cast from thee; it is good for thee to enter into the life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast to the fire the age-during.

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 doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee; it is good for thee one-eyed to enter into the life, rather than having two eyes to be cast to the gehenna of the 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.

`Beware! -- ye may not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their messengers in the heavens do always behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens,

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 did come to save the 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 think ye? if a man may have an hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, doth he not -- having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains -- seek that which is 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.

and if it may come to pass that he doth find it, verily I say to you, that he doth rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that 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.

so it is not will in presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones may 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 may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain 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.

and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.

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 may not hear them, say to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.

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 to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.

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 to you, that, if two of you may agree on the earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask -- it shall be done to them from my Father who is in the heavens,

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 there are two or three gathered together -- to 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 Peter having come near to him, said, `Sir, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him -- till seven times?'

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

Jesus saith to him, `I do not say to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven.

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

`Because of this was the reign of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who did will to take reckoning with his servants,

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

and he having begun to take account, there was brought near to him one debtor of a myriad of 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.

and he having nothing to pay, his lord did command him to be sold, and his wife, and the children, and all, whatever 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 then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, 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 having been moved with compassion did release him, and the debt he forgave him.

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!

`And, that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest.

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

His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, was calling on him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;

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 having gone away, he cast him into prison, till he might pay that which was owing.

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.

`And his fellow-servants having seen the things that were done, were grieved exceedingly, and having come, shewed fully to their lord all the things that were 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 having called him, his lord saith to him, Evil servant! all that debt I did forgive thee, seeing thou didst call upon me,

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

did it not behove also thee to have dealt kindly with thy fellow-servant, as I also dealt kindly with 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 having been wroth, his lord delivered him to the inquisitors, till he might pay all that was owing 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 also my heavenly Father will do to you, if ye may not forgive each one his brother from your hearts their trespasses.'