aAt that 1time the disciples
came
to Jesus
and said
, " bWho
then
is greatest
in the kingdom
of heaven
?"
And He called a child
to Himself and set
him 1before
them,
and said, "Truly
I say
to you, unless
you 1are converted
and abecome
like
children
, you will not enter
the kingdom
of heaven
.
"Whoever then
humbles
himself
as this
child
, he is the greatest
in the kingdom
of heaven
.
"And whoever receives
one
such
child
in My name
receives
Me;
but awhoever bcauses
one
of these
little
ones
who believe
in Me to stumble
, it 1would be better
for him to have a 2heavy
millstone
hung
around
his neck
, and to be drowned
in the depth
of the sea
.
"Woe to the world
because
of its stumbling
blocks
! For ait is inevitable
that stumbling
blocks
come
; but woe
to that man
through
whom
the stumbling
block
comes
!
" aIf 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
1to have
two
hands
or
two
feet
and be cast
into the eternal
fire
.
" aIf 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
1to have
two
eyes
and be cast
into the 2 bfiery
hell
.
"See that you do not despise
one
of these
little
ones
, for I say
to you that atheir angels
in heaven
continually
see
the face
of My Father
who is in heaven
.
[" 1 aFor the Son of Man
has come
to save
that which was lost
.]
"What do you think
? aIf
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
?
"If 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
.
"So it is not the will
1of your Father
who is in heaven
that one
of these
little
ones
perish
.
" aIf your brother
sins
1, go
and 2show
him his fault
3in private
; if
he listens
to you, you have won
your brother
.
"But if he does not listen
to you, take
one
or
two
more
with you, so
that aBY THE MOUTH
OF TWO
OR
THREE
WITNESSES
EVERY
1FACT
MAY BE CONFIRMED
.
"If he refuses
to listen
to them, atell
it to the church
; and if
he refuses
to listen
even
to the church
, blet him be to you as 1a Gentile
and 1a tax
collector
.
"Truly I say
to you, awhatever
you 1bind
on earth
2shall have been bound
in heaven
; and whatever
you 3loose
on earth
2shall have been loosed
in heaven
.
"Again I say
to you, that if
two
of you agree
on earth
about
anything
that they may ask
, ait shall be done
for them 1by My Father
who is in heaven
.
"For where two
or
three
have gathered
together
in My name
, aI am
there
in their midst
."
Then Peter
came
and said
to Him, "Lord
, ahow
often
shall my brother
sin
against
me and I forgive
him? Up to bseven
times
?"
Jesus *said
to him, "I do not say
to you, up to seven
times
, but up to aseventy
times
seven
.
"For this reason
athe kingdom
of heaven
1may be compared
to a king
who
wished
to bsettle
accounts
with his slaves
.
"When he had begun to settle
them, one
who owed
him 1ten
thousand
talents
was brought
to him.
"But since he 1 adid not have the means to repay
, his lord
commanded
him bto be sold
, along
with his wife
and children
and all
that he had
, and repayment
to be made
.
"So the slave
fell
to the ground and aprostrated
himself
before
him, saying
, `Have
patience
with me and I will repay
you everything
.'
"And the lord of that slave
felt
compassion
and released
him and aforgave
him the 1debt
.
"But that slave went
out and found
one
of his fellow
slaves
who
owed
him a hundred
1denarii
; and he seized
him and began to choke
him, saying
, `Pay
back
what
you owe
.'
"So his fellow
slave
fell
to the ground and began to plead
with him, saying
, `Have
patience
with me and I will repay
you.'
"But he was unwilling 1and went
and threw
him in prison
until
he should pay
back
what
was owed
.
"So when his fellow
slaves
saw
what
had happened
, they were deeply
grieved
and came
and reported
to their lord
all
that had happened
.
"Then summoning
him, his lord
*said
to him, `You wicked
slave
, I forgave
you all
that debt
because
you pleaded
with me.
` aShould you not also
have had
mercy
on your fellow
slave
, in the same
way
that I had
mercy
on you?'
"And his lord, moved
with anger
, handed
him over
to the torturers
until
he should repay
all
that was owed
him.
" aMy heavenly Father
will also
do
the same
to you, if
each
of you does not forgive
his brother
from 1your heart
."