Matthew 18 NLT NIV Parallel

Bible > Matthew > Matthew 18

◄ Matthew 18 ►

NLT Parallel NIV [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT GRK]

New Living Translation

New International Version

1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

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

2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.

2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.

3And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

6"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 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

7Woe 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 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.

8If 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 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

9And 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 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Parable of the Lost Sheep

10"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.

12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?

12"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 he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!

13And 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 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Correcting Another Believer

14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

15"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 you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

16But 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 the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

17If 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 tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

18"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 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

19"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 gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

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

21Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

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?"

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

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

23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.

23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.

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

25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

25Since 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 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’

26"At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

28"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 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.

29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.'

30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

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

31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.

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

32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.

32"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 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

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

New International Version (NIV)

Bible Hub