Matthew 18

1At that time the disciples approached Jesus, saying, "Who then is greater in the kingdom of heaven?"

2And calling a child to himself, he set him in their midst.

3And he said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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

5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

6But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a donkey millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

7Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks, for it is necessary that they come; yet woe to the man through whom the stumbling block comes.

8If your hand or your foot makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; 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.

9And if your eye trips you up, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into the fire of hell.

10See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

11For the Son of Man came to save the lost.

12How does it seem to you? If any man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go search for the one that is straying?

13And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.

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

15If your brother sins against you, go, confront him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

16But if he does not hear, take one or two others with you, so that every matter may stand by the mouth of two or three witnesses.

17If he refuses to heed them, tell the church. But if he refuses to heed the church as well, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18I assure you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.

19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about any matter they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

20For wherever two or three gather in my name, there I am among them.

21Then Peter approached him and said, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

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 is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24When he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

25Since he had nothing with which to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, his wife and children and everything he possessed, and repayment made.

26The servant therefore fell down before him and worshiped him, saying, "Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything."

27The master of that servant felt compassion, let him go, and forgave him the debt.

28But that servant went out, found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, seized him, and choked him, saying, "Pay back whatever you owe."

29So his fellow servant fell and besought him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will repay you."

30But he was unwilling, but went away and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.

31So when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly grieved and went to tell their master everything that had taken place.

32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "Wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me."

33Shouldn't you also have shown mercy to your fellow servant, as I also showed mercy to you?

34His lord was enraged and handed him over to the tormentors until he should repay everything owed.

35So my heavenly Father will also do to you if you do not each forgive his brother from your hearts.