1AT that very hour the disciples came up to Jesus and said, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2So Jesus called a little boy, and made him to stand up in the midst of them,
3And he said, Truly I say to you, Unless you change and become like little boys, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4Whoever therefore will humble himself like this little boy, shall be great in the kingdom of heaven.
5And he who will welcome one like this little boy, in my name, welcomes me.
6And whoever misleads one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him that an ass’ millstone were hanged on his neck and he were sunk in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of offences! Offences are bound to come; but woe to the man by whose hand the offences come! 8If your hand or your foot offends you, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is much better for you to go through life lamed or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, and fall into the everlasting fire. 9And if your eye offends you, remove it and throw it away from you; it is better for you to go through life with one eye, rather than having two eyes and fall into the gehenna of fire. 10See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you, their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven. 11For the Son of man has come to save what was lost. 12What do you think? If a man should have a hundred sheep, and one of them is lost, would he not leave the ninety and nine on the mountain, and go in search of the one which is lost? 13And if he should find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety and nine which were not lost. 14Even so, your Father in heaven does not want one of these little ones to be lost. 15Now then, if your brother is at fault with you, go and rebuke him alone; if he listens to you, then you have won your brother. 16But if he will not listen to you, take one or two with you, because at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is sustained. 17And if he will not listen to them, tell the congregation; and if he will not listen to the congregation, then regard him as a publican and a heathen. 18Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. 19Again I say to you, that if two of you are worthy on earth, anything that they would ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. 21Then Peter came up and said to him, My Lord, if my brother is at fault with me, how many times should I forgive him? up to seven times? 22Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who wanted to take an accounting from his servants. 24And when he began to take the accounting, they brought to him one who owed ten thousand talents. 25And as he could not pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, together with his wife and children, and all that he had, so that he could pay. 26The servant then fell down, worshipped him, and said, My lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. 27Then the master of that servant had pity, so he released him, and cancelled his debt. 28But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him one hundred cents; and he seized him, and tried to choke him, saying to him, Give me what you owe me. 29So his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and begged him and said, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 30But he was not willing; and he went and had him put into prison, until he should pay him what he owed him. 31When their fellow-servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry, and they came and informed their master of everything that had happened. 32Then his master called him and said to him, O wicked servant, I cancelled all your debt because you begged me. 33Was it not right for you to have mercy on your fellow-servant, just as I had mercy on you? 34So his master was angry, and delivered him to the scourgers, until he should pay everything he owed him. 35So will my Father in heaven do to you, if you do not forgive each man his brother’s fault from your heart. Holy Bible From The Ancient Eastern Texts: Aramaic Of The Peshitta by George M. Lamsa (1933) |