Matthew 18

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?'	1 In that hour, the disciples drew near to Jesus, saying, “Whom do you consider to be greater in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 So he cal ed a little child to him whom he set among them.	2 And Jesus, calling to himself a little child, placed him in their midst.
3 Then he said, 'In truth I tel you, unless you change and become like little children you wil never enterthe kingdom of Heaven.	3 And he said: “Amen I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.	4 Therefore, whoever will have humbled himself like this little child, such a one is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
5 'Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me.	5 And whoever shall accept one such little child in my name, accepts me.
6 But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith in me would be betterdrowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck.	6 But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea.
7 Alas for the world that there should be such causes of fal ing! Causes of falling indeed there must be,but alas for anyone who provides them!	7 Woe to a world that leads people astray! Although it is necessary for temptations to arise, nevertheless: Woe to that man through whom temptation arises!
8 'If your hand or your foot should be your downfal , cut it off and throw it away: it is better for you toenter into life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.	8 So if your hand or your foot leads you to sin, cut it off and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life disabled or lame, than to be sent into eternal fire having two hands or two feet.
9 And if your eye should be your downfal , tear it out and throw it away: it is better for you to enter intolife with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hel of fire.	9 And if your eye leads you to sin, root it out and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to be sent into the fires of Hell having two eyes.
10 'See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tel you that theirin heaven are continually inthe presence of my Father in heaven.	10 See to it that you do not despise even one of these little ones. For I say to you, that their Angels in heaven continually look upon the face of my Father, who is in heaven.
11	11 For the Son of man has come to save what had been lost.
12 'Tel me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?	12 How does it seem to you? If someone has one hundred sheep, and if one of them has gone astray, should he not leave behind the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go out to seek what has gone astray?
13 In truth I tel you, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at al .	13 And if he should happen to find it: Amen I say to you, that he has more joy over that one, than over the ninety-nine which did not go astray.
14 Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.	14 Even so, it is not the will before your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should be lost.
15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. Ifhe listens to you, you have won back your brother.	15 But if your brother has sinned against you, go and correct him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have regained your brother.
16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, theevidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge.	16 But if he will not listen you, invite with you one or two more, so that every word may stand by the mouth of two or three witnesses.
17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to thecommunity, treat him like a gentile or a tax col ector.	17 And if he will not listen to them, tell the Church. But if he will not listen to the Church, let him be to you like the pagan and the tax collector.
18 'In truth I tel you, whatever you bind on earth wil be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earthwil be loosed in heaven.	18 Amen I say to you, whatever you will have bound on earth, shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you will have released on earth, shall be released also in heaven.
19 'In truth I tel you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at al , it wil be granted toyou by my Father in heaven.	19 Again I say to you, that if two of those among you have agreed on earth, about anything whatsoever that they have requested, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in heaven.
20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'	20 For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I, in their midst.”
21 Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? Asoften as seven times?'	21 Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tel you, but seventy-seven times.	22 Jesus said to him: “I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times.
23 'And so the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts withhis servants.	23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who was king, who wanted to take account of his servants.
24 When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents;	24 And when he had begun taking account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wifeand children and al his possessions, to meet the debt.	25 But since he did not have any way to repay it, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children, and all that he had, in order to repay it.
26 At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet, with the words, "Be patient with me and Iwil pay the whole sum."	26 But that servant, falling prostrate, begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’
27 And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancel ed the debt.	27 Then the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, released him, and he forgave his debt.
28 Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fel ow-servant who owed him one hundreddenari ; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying, "Pay what you owe me."	28 But when that servant departed, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarius. And taking hold of him, he choked him, saying: ‘Repay what you owe.’
29 His fel ow-servant fell at his feet and appealed to him, saying, "Be patient with me and I wil pay you."	29 And his fellow servant, falling prostrate, petitioned him, saying: ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’
30 But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison til he should pay thedebt.	30 But he was not willing. Instead, he went out and had him sent to prison, until he would repay the debt.
31 His fel ow-servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went totheir master and reported the whole affair to him.	31 Now his fellow servants, seeing what was done, were greatly saddened, and they went and reported to their lord all that was done.
32 Then the master sent for the man and said to him, "You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt ofyours when you appealed to me.	32 Then his lord called him, and he said to him: ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt, because you pleaded with me.
33 Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?"	33 Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?’
34 And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers til he should pay al his debt.	34 And his lord, being angry, handed him over to the torturers, until he repaid the entire debt.
35 And that is how my heavenly Father wil deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from yourheart.'	35 So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts.”