Matthew 18 Parallel Bible Translations

Matthew 18 ▼
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1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child and set him before them, And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
3 and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives and welcomes one child like this in My name receives Me; “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes! “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. And 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 the eternal fire. If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
9 If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell. 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 hell of fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge 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.
10 “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
11 [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? What do you think? 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? “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
13 And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that EVERY WORD MAY BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector. 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 a Gentile and a tax collector. If they still refuse to listen, 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.
18 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Then 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?”
22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven. Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
25 But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 So the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
27 And his master’s heart was moved with compassion and he released him and forgave him [canceling] the debt. And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master [with clarity and in detail] everything that had taken place. 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. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked and contemptible slave, I forgave all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave [who owed you little by comparison], as I had mercy on you?’ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
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