Matthew 18:21-19:12

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ^(A)will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(B)As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished ^(C)to settle accounts with his servants.^{[a] 24} When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ^(D)ten thousand ^(E)talents.^{[b] 25 (F)}And since he could not pay, his master ordered him ^(G)to be sold, with his wife and ^(H)children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant^{[c] (I)}fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and ^(J)forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ^(K)denarii,^[d] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ 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. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ^33 (L)And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ^34 (M)And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^{[e] (N)}until he should pay all his debt. ^35 (O)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother ^(P)from your heart.”

Teaching About Divorce

19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from ^(Q)Galilee and ^(R)entered ^(S)the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² And ^(T)large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ And Pharisees came up to him and ^(U)tested him by asking, ^(V)“Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” ⁴ He answered, ^(W)“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ^(X)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(Y)the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^(Z)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ⁷ They said to him, ^(AA)“Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ⁸ He said to them, “Because of your ^(AB)hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ^9 (AC)And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”^[f]

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ But he said to them, ^(AD)“Not everyone can receive this saying, but only ^(AE)those to ^(AF)whom it is given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs ^(AG)for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”