Matthew 18

1 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?” 2 And he called a child to him and stood it in the middle of them 3 and said, “Amen, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of the heavens. † 4 So whoever will humble himself like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens; 5 and whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

6 But whoever makes one of these little ones who trust in me stumble — it would be better for him to have a donkey’s millstone hung around his neck and to be sunk in the open sea. [a] † 7 Woe to the world because of the stumbling blocks. For the stumbling blocks have to come, but woe to the man through whom the stumbling block comes.

8 And if your hand or your foot makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is good for you to enter life crippled or lame, rather than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye makes you stumble, take it out and throw it away from you. It is good for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. [b] 10 See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I tell you that their messengers in the heavens continually see the face of my Father in the heavens. [c]

12 What do you think? If a man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and look for the one that is wandering? 13 And if he happens to find it, amen, I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not wandered off. 14 So it is not the will before your Father in the heavens that one of these little ones should perish. [e]

15 But if your brother sins against you, go and correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. [f] 16 But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that on the word of two witnesses or three every matter may be settled. [g] 17 But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the gathering; and if he refuses to listen even to the gathering, let him be to you as the man of the nations and the tax collector. [h]

18 Amen, I tell you, whatever you bind on the earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, amen, I tell you that if two of you on the earth agree about anything they ask, it will come to them from my Father in the heavens. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them.” †

21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you as many as seven times, but as many as seventy times seven. [j]

23 Because of this the kingdom of the heavens has been made like a man, a king, who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 And when he had begun to settle, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him. [k] 25 And since he did not have it to pay back, the master ordered him to be sold, and the wife and the children and everything he has, and the payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell down and was bowing to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back everything.’ 27 And the master of that slave was moved with compassion, and released him, and let the loan go.

28 But 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 whatever you owe.’ [l] 29 So his fellow slave fell down and was begging him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he was not willing; instead he went and threw him into prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened they were deeply grieved, and they went and made plain to their own master everything that had happened.

32 Then his master called him to him and says to him, ‘Wicked slave! I let that whole debt go for you, because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his master was angry and handed him over to the torturers, until he should pay back all that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your hearts.”