1 ch. 17:24;For ver. 1-5, see Mark 9:33-37;Luke 9:46-48;[ch. 20:20-28]At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you See Luke 22:32turn and ch. 19:14;Mark 10:15;Luke 18:17;[Ps. 131:2;1 Cor. 14:20;1 Pet. 2:2] become like children, you [ch. 5:19,20]will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 ch. 20:27;23:11,12Whoever humbles himself like this child is the [See ver. 3above]greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 [ch. 10:40,42]"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,6 but Mark 9:42whoever causes one of these Luke 17:2;[1 Cor. 8:12]little ones who believe in me to sin,18:6 Greek causes . . . to stumble; also verses 8, 9it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 "Woe to the world for See ch. 13:41temptations to sin! 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks Luke 17:1;See 1 Cor. 11:19For it is necessary that temptations come, ch. 26:24but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!8 ch. 5:29,30;Mark 9:43-48And if 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 with two hands or two feet to be thrown into See ch. 25:41the eternal fire.9 [See ver. 8above] And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the [See ver. 8above]hell18:9 Greek Gehennaof fire.
10 "See that you do not despise [ch. 6:29;25:40,45;Luke 15:7,10] one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven Acts 12:15;[Ps. 34:7;91:11;Heb. 1:14] their angels always Luke 1:19;Rev. 8:2;[Esth. 1:14]see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost 12 ch. 17:25;21:28What do you think? For ver. 12-14, [Luke 15:4-7]If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.14 So John 6:39;10:28;[John 17:12]it is not the will of my18:14 Some manuscripts yourFather who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 Luke 17:3"If your brother sins against you, 2 Thess. 3:15;[Titus 3:10;James 5:19]; See Lev. 19:17go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have 1 Cor. 9:19-22;1 Pet. 3:1gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established Deut. 19:15;2 Cor. 13:1;[Num. 35:30;John 8:17;1 Tim. 5:19;Heb. 10:28]by the evidence of two or three witnesses.17 If he refuses to listen to them, [1 Cor. 5:4,5;6:1-6] tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, [Rom. 16:17;1 Cor. 5:9-13;2 Thess. 3:6,14;2 John 10] let him be to you as ch. 5:46,47a Gentile and ch. 5:46,47a tax collector.18 Truly, I say to you, [ch. 16:19;John 20:23]whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed18:18 Or shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosedin heaven.19 Again I say to you, if two of you [Acts 12:5,12;Philem. 22] agree on earth about anything they ask, See ch. 7:7it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.20 For where two or three are [Acts 4:30,31;1 Cor. 5:4] gathered in my name, [ch. 28:20;John 12:26;20:20,26]there am I among them."
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often ver. 15will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Luke 17:3,4;[Col. 3:13]As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.18:22 Or seventy times seven
23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished ch. 25:19to settle accounts with his servants. 18:23 Or bondservants ; also verses 28, 31 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him Esth. 3:9ten thousand ch. 25:15talents.18:24 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer25 [Luke 7:42] And since he could not pay, his master ordered him Ex. 21:2;Lev. 25:39to be sold, with his wife and 2 Kgs. 4:1;Neh. 5:5children and all that he had, and payment to be made.26 So the servant18:26 Or bondservant; also verses 27, 28, 29, 32, 33Acts 10:25;See ch. 8:2fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and [See ver. 25above]forgave him the debt.28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ch. 20:2;22:19;Mark 6:37;14:5;Luke 7:41;10:35;John 6:7denarii,18:28 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborerand seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.33 [ch. 6:12;Eph. 4:32;Col. 3:13;1 John 4:11]And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’34 See James 2:13And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,18:34 Greek torturersver. 30;[ch. 5:25,26]until he should pay all his debt.35 ch. 6:15;[Prov. 21:13] So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother1 Pet. 1:22;[Rom. 6:17]from your heart."
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