1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?2 And Jesus having called a little child to {him}, set it in their midst,3 and said, Verily I say to you, Unless ye are converted and become as little children, ye will not at all enter into the kingdom of the heavens.4 Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, *he* is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens;5 and whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me.6 But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it were profitable for him that a great millstone had been hanged upon his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea.7 Woe to the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; yet woe to that man by whom the offence comes!8 And if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off and cast {it} from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, {rather} than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire.9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast {it} from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life one-eyed, {rather} than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.10 See that ye do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in {the} heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in {the} heavens.11 For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost.12 What think ye? If a certain man should have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not, leaving the ninety and nine on the mountains, go and seek the one that has gone astray?13 And if it should come to pass that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more because of it than because of the ninety and nine not gone astray.14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in {the} heavens that one of these little ones should perish.15 But if thy brother sin against thee, go, reprove him between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.16 But if he do not hear {thee}, take with thee one or two besides, that every matter may stand upon the word of two witnesses or of three.17 But if he will not listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if also he will not listen to the assembly, let him be to thee as one of the nations and a tax-gatherer.18 Verily I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on the earth shall be loosed in heaven.19 Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on the earth concerning any matter, whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father who is in {the} heavens.20 For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.21 Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times?22 Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.23 For this cause the kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who would reckon with his bondmen.24 And having begun to reckon, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him.25 But he not having anything to pay, {his} lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children, and everything that he had, and that payment should be made.26 The bondman therefore falling down did him homage, saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all.27 And the lord of that bondman, being moved with compassion, loosed him and forgave him the loan.28 But that bondman having gone out, found one of his fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying, Pay {me} if thou owest anything.29 His fellow-bondman therefore, having fallen down {at his feet}, besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.30 But he would not, but went away and cast him into prison, until he should pay what was owing.31 But his fellow-bondmen, having seen what had taken place, were greatly grieved, and went and recounted to their lord all that had taken place.32 Then his lord, having called him to {him}, says to him, Wicked bondman! I forgave thee all that debt because thou besoughtest me;33 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-bondman, as *I* also had compassion on thee?34 And his lord being angry delivered him to the tormentors till he paid all that was owing to him.35 Thus also my heavenly Father shall do to you if ye forgive not from your hearts every one his brother.

1 In daardie uur het die dissipels na Jesus gekom en gesê: Wie is tog die grootste in die koninkryk van die hemele?2 Toe roep Jesus 'n kindjie na Hom en laat hom in hulle midde staan3 en Hy sê: Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, as julle nie verander en soos die kindertjies word nie, sal julle nooit in die koninkryk van die hemele ingaan nie!4 Elkeen dan wat homself verneder soos hierdie kindjie, hy is die grootste in die koninkryk van die hemele.5 En elkeen wat een van sulke kindertjies in my Naam ontvang, ontvang My;6 maar elkeen wat een van hierdie kleintjies wat in My glo, laat struikel, dit is vir hom beter dat 'n meulsteen aan sy nek gehang word en hy wegsink in die diepte van die see.7 Wee die wêreld weens die struikelblokke! Want dit is noodsaaklik dat daar struikelblokke kom, maar wee die mens deur wie die struikelblok kom.8 En as jou hand of jou voet jou laat struikel, kap dit af en gooi dit weg van jou af; dit is vir jou beter om in die lewe in te gaan, kreupel of vermink, as om twee hande of voete te hê en in die ewige vuur gewerp te word.9 En as jou oog jou laat struikel, ruk dit uit en werp dit weg van jou af. Dit is vir jou beter om met een oog in die lewe in te gaan, as om twee oë te hê en in die helse vuur gewerp te word.10 Pas op dat julle nie een van hierdie kleintjies verag nie; want Ek sê vir julle dat hulle engele in die hemele altyd die aangesig sien van my Vader wat in die hemele is.11 Want die Seun van die mens het gekom om te red wat verlore is.12 Wat dink julle? As iemand honderd skape het en een van hulle verdwaal, sal hy nie die nege en negentig laat staan en op die berge die verdwaalde een gaan soek nie?13 En as hy hom kry, voorwaar Ek sê vir julle dat hy blyer is oor hom as oor die nege en negentig wat nie verdwaal het nie.14 So is dit nie die wil van julle Vader wat in die hemele is, dat een van hierdie kleintjies verlore gaan nie.15 En as jou broeder teen jou sondig, gaan bestraf hom tussen jou en hom alleen. As hy na jou luister, dan het jy jou broeder gewin;16 maar as hy nie luister nie, neem nog een of twee met jou saam, sodat in die mond van twee of drie getuies elke woord kan vasstaan.17 En as hy na hulle nie luister nie, sê dit aan die gemeente; en as hy na die gemeente ook nie luister nie, laat hom vir jou wees soos die heiden en die tollenaar.18 Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, alles wat julle op die aarde bind, sal in die hemel gebonde wees; en alles wat julle op die aarde ontbind, sal in die hemel ontbonde wees.19 Weer sê Ek vir julle: As twee van julle saamstem op die aarde oor enige saak wat hulle mag vra, dit sal hulle ten deel val van my Vader wat in die hemele is.20 Want waar twee of drie in my Naam vergader, daar is Ek in hul midde.21 Toe kom Petrus na Hom en sê: Here, hoe dikwels sal my broeder teen my sondig en ek hom vergewe? Tot sewe maal toe?22 Jesus antwoord hom: Ek sê vir jou, nie tot sewe maal toe nie, maar tot sewentig maal sewe toe.23 Daarom word die koninkryk van die hemele vergelyk met 'n sekere koning wat met sy diensknegte wou afreken.24 En toe hy begin afreken, word daar een na hom gebring wat tien duisend talente skuldig was.25 En omdat hy nie kon betaal nie, gee sy heer bevel dat hy verkoop moet word, en sy vrou en sy kinders en alles wat hy het, en dat betaal moet word.26 Toe val die dienskneg neer en buig voor hom en sê: Heer, wees lankmoedig met my, en ek sal u alles betaal.27 En die heer van daardie dienskneg het innig jammer vir hom gevoel en hom losgelaat en hom die skuld kwytgeskeld.28 Maar toe daardie dienskneg uitgaan en een van sy medediensknegte vind wat hom honderd pennings skuldig was, het hy hom aan die keel gegryp en gesê: Betaal my wat jy skuld.29 Sy mededienskneg val toe voor sy voete neer en smeek hom en sê: Wees lankmoedig met my, en ek sal jou alles betaal.30 En hy wou nie, maar het gegaan en hom in die gevangenis gewerp totdat hy die skuld sou betaal het.31 En toe sy medediensknegte sien wat gebeur het, was hulle baie bedroef, en hulle het gegaan en aan hulle heer meegedeel alles wat gebeur het.32 Daarop roep sy heer hom en sê vir hom: Jou slegte dienskneg, al daardie skuld het ek jou kwytgeskeld, omdat jy my gesmeek het;33 moes jy nie jou mededienskneg ook barmhartig wees soos ek jou ook barmhartig gewees het nie?34 En sy heer het hom in toorn oorgegee aan die pynigers totdat hy sou betaal het alles wat hy hom skuldig was.35 So sal ook my hemelse Vader aan julle doen as julle nie elkeen sy broeder van harte sy oortredinge vergewe nie.