Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them.

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

3"I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

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

4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child--this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

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

5And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me.

5"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

6"But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me--it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!

6but 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.

7Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.

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!

8If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

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.

9And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire!

9"If 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.

10"See that you don't look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven.

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.

11For the Son of Man has come to save the lost.

11"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won't he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray?

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?

13And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray.

13"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.

14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

14"So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

15"If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.

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

16But if he won't listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.

16"But 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.

17If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn't pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you.

17"If 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.

18I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.

18"Truly 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.

19Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father 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.

20For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them."

20"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

21Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

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

22"I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven.

22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

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

24When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him.

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

25Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

25"But 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.

26"At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!'

26"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

27Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, Pay what you owe!'

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 what you owe.'

29"At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

29"So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

30But he wasn't willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.

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

31When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

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

32"Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

32"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'

33'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

34And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.

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

35So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart."

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org