| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” | 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" |
| 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them | 2Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. |
| 3and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. | 3"I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. | 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child--this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. |
| 5“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, | 5And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me. |
| 6but 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. | 6"But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me--it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea! |
| 7“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! | 7Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. |
| 8And 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. | 8If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed 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, 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. | 9And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire! |
| 10“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. | 10"See that you don't look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven. |
| 11 | 11For the Son of Man has come to save the lost. |
| 12What 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? | 12What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won't he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? |
| 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. | 13And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. |
| 14So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. | 14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish. |
| 15“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. | 15"If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. |
| 16But 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. | 16But if he won't listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. |
| 17If 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. | 17If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn't pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you. |
| 18Truly, 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. | 18I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. |
| 19Again 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. | 19Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. |
| 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” | 20For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them." |
| 21Then 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?” | 21Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" |
| 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. | 22"I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven. |
| 23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. | 23For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. |
| 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. | 24When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him. |
| 25And 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. | 25Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. |
| 26So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ | 26"At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!' |
| 27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. | 27Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan. |
| 28But 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.’ | 28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, Pay what you owe!' |
| 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ | 29"At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' |
| 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. | 30But he wasn't willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. |
| 31When 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. | 31When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. |
| 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. | 32"Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. |
| 33And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ | 33Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' |
| 34And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. | 34And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. |
| 35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” | 35So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart." |
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