Matthew 18

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2Jesus called a little child to Him and stood the child among them.

3Jesus said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

4So whoever humbles themselves like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for that person to have a huge millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the deep sea.

7How terrible for the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but how terrible for the person who causes them to come!

8If 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 to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

9And if your eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

10See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. I tell you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

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

12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go look for the one that wandered off?

13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander away.

14In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.

15If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them back.

16But if they will not listen, take one or two others with you, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

17If they refuse to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18I tell you the truth: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

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

20For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked: Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?

22Jesus answered: I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.

23That is why the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24As he began the settlement, a man was brought to him who owed ten thousand bags of gold.

25Since the man was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

26The servant fell on his knees and begged him: Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything.

27The master felt sorry for the servant, released him, and forgave the debt.

28But when that servant went out, he found a fellow servant who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying: Pay back what you owe me!

29His fellow servant fell down and begged him: Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.

30But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset, and they went and told their master everything that had happened.

32Then the master called the servant in and said: You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me to.

33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?

34In anger, his master handed him over to be tortured until he could pay back everything he owed.

35This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.