1 A t that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “ Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

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

2 A nd He called a child to Himself and set him before them,

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

3 a nd said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

And 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.

4 W hoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

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

5 A nd whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

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

6 b ut whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Stumbling Blocks

But 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.

7 “ Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

Woe 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!

8 “ If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

And 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.

9 I f your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

And 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.

10 “ See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Beware 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.

11 ' > For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. ] Ninety-nine Plus One

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

12 “ What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

What 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?

13 I f it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

And 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.

14 S o it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. Discipline and Prayer

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

15 “ If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

If 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.

16 B ut if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.

But 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.

17 I f he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

If 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.

18 T ruly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Truly 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.

19 “ Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

Again 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.

20 F or where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Forgiveness

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

21 T hen Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Then 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?

22 J esus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!

23 “ For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

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

24 W hen he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10, 000 talents,

25 B ut since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

And 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.

26 S o the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’

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

27 A nd the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

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

28 B ut that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’

But 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!

29 S o his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’

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

30 B ut he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

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

31 S o when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

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

32 T hen summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

Then 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.

33 S hould you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’

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

34 A nd his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

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

35 M y heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

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