New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

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

2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.

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

3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

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

6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

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!

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

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

8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.

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.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

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!

10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Parable of the Lost Sheep

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.

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

12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is 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?

13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!

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

14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Correcting Another Believer

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

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

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

16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

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.

17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

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.

18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

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

19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

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.

20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

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

21Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

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?"

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

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

23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.

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

24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.

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

25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

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.

26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’

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

27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

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

28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

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!'

29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.

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

30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

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

31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.

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

32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.

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.

33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

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

34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

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

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

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

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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