1 AT that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called to him a little child and stood him in the midst of them
3 and said, "I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like the little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 He who humbles himself like this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one such little child for my name receives me;
6 and whoever causes one of these little ones that believe in me to stumble, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and be cast into the depths of the lake.
7 Alas for the world because of the occasions of stumbling! It must be that such occasions come, but alas for the man through whom any one is tripped up!
8 If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire eternal.
9 If your eye is a snare to you, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than with two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.
10 See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you, in heaven their angels continually behold the face of my Father in heaven.
11 TEXT OMITTED
12 How does it seem to you? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the straying one?
13 And if he finds it, I tell you he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed.
14 Just so it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault between yourself and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
16 If he does not listen to you, take along with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses, or three, every word may be confirmed.
17 If he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.
18 I tell you truly, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again I tell you that, if two of you agree on earth regarding any matter, whatever they pray for will come to them from my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
21 Then Peter came to him and said, "How often, Sir, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a man who was a king, who determined to settle accounts with his servants.
24 When he had begun the accounting there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 Since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, as well as his wife and his children and whatever he had, and payment to be made.
26 But the servant fell down and did homage and said, 'Have patience with me and I will pay you in full.'
27 Then the master, pitying the servant, released him and cancelled his debt.
28 But that servant, on going out, found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred shillings, and he seized him and choked him, saying, 'Pay in full what you owe.'
29 His fellow servant fell down and begged, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will pay you in full.'
30 But he would not, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay off the debt.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and went and informed their master about everything.
32 The master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant, all that debt of yours I cancelled when you begged me.
33 Ought you not to have had pity on your fellow servant as I had pity on you?'
34 Then his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay off all that was owing to him.
35 Just so will my Father in heaven do to you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts."