^1. AT that [1] time the disciples came to Jesus and said, « Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?»

^2. And He called a child to Himself and set him [2] before them,

^3. and said, «Truly I say to you, unless you [3] are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

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

^5. «And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

^6. but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it [5] would be better for him to have a [4] heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

^7. «Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

^8. « If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than [6] to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

^9. « If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than [8] to have two eyes and be cast into the [7] fiery hell.

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

^11. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

^12. «What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

^13. «If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

^14. «So it is not the will [9] of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

^15. « If your brother sins [12] , go and [11] show him his fault [10] in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

^16. «But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY [13] FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

^17. «If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as [15] a Gentile and [14] a tax collector.

^18. «Truly I say to you, whatever you [19] bind on earth [18] shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [17] loose on earth [16] shall have been loosed in heaven.

^19. «Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them [20] by My Father who is in heaven.

^20. «For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.»

^21. Then Peter came and said to Him, «Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?»

^22. Jesus said to him, «I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

^23. «For this reason the kingdom of heaven [21] may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

^24. «When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him [22] ten thousand talents was brought to him.

^25. «But since he [23] did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

^26. «So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, "Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

^27. «And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the [24] debt.

^28. «But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred [25] denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, "Pay back what you owe.'

^29. «So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, "Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

^30. «But he was unwilling [26] and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

^31. «So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

^32. «Then summoning him, his lord said to him, "You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

^33. " Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

^34. «And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

^35. « My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from [27] your heart.»