| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” | 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" |
| 2Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. | 2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. |
| 3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. | 3And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. | 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. |
| 5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. | 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. |
| 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. | 6"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. |
| 7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! | 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! |
| 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. | 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. |
| 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. | 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. |
| 10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven. | 10"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. |
| 12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? | 12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? |
| 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. | 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. |
| 14In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. | 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. |
| 15If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. | 15"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. |
| 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ | 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' |
| 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. | 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. |
| 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. | 18"Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. |
| 19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. | 19"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. |
| 20For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.” | 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." |
| 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” | 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" |
| 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! | 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. |
| 23Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. | 23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. |
| 24As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents. | 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. |
| 25Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned. | 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. |
| 26Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ | 26"At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' |
| 27His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him. | 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. |
| 28But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ | 28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. |
| 29So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’ | 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' |
| 30But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt. | 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. |
| 31When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master. | 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. |
| 32Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. | 32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. |
| 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ | 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' |
| 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. | 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. |
| 35That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” | 35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart." |
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