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Matthew 18
New English Translation

Questions About the Greatest

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child, had him stand among them, 3 and said, “I tell you the truth,[a] unless you turn around and become like little children,[b] you will never[c] enter the kingdom of heaven! 4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes[d] a child like this in my name welcomes me.

6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,[e] it would be better for him to have a huge millstone[f] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.[g] 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It[h] is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come. 8 If[i] your hand or your foot causes you to sin,[j] cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have[k] two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have[l] two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.[m]

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.[n] 12 What do you think? If someone[o] owns a hundred[p] sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?[q] 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth,[r] he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

Restoring Christian Relationships

15 “If[s] your brother[t] sins,[u] go and show him his fault[v] when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.[w] 17 If[x] he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If[y] he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like[z] a Gentile[aa] or a tax collector.[ab]

18 “I tell you the truth,[ac] whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. 19 Again, I tell you the truth,[ad] if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.[ae] 20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother[af] who sins against me? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times![ag]

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.[ah] 24 As[ai] he began settling his accounts, a man who owed 10,000 talents[aj] was brought to him. 25 Because[ak] he was not able to repay it,[al] the lord ordered him to be sold, along with[am] his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground[an] before him, saying,[ao] ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 After[ap] he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 silver coins.[aq] So[ar] he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him,[as] saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’[at] 29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him,[au] ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 31 When[av] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. 32 Then his lord called the first slave[aw] and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! 33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him[ax] until he repaid all he owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your[ay] brother[az] from your heart.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:3 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  2. Matthew 18:3 sn The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit, as well as willingness to be dependent and receive from others, than any inherent humility the child might possess.
  3. Matthew 18:3 tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mē) is very strong here.
  4. Matthew 18:5 tn This verb, δέχομαι (dechomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
  5. Matthew 18:6 tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
  6. Matthew 18:6 tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.
  7. Matthew 18:6 tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”
  8. Matthew 18:7 tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
  9. Matthew 18:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  10. Matthew 18:8 sn In Greek there is a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in English here. The verb translated “causes…to sin” (σκανδαλίζω, skandalizō) comes from the same root as the word translated “stumbling blocks” (σκάνδαλον, skandalon) in the previous verse.
  11. Matthew 18:8 tn Grk “than having.”
  12. Matthew 18:9 tn Grk “than having.”
  13. Matthew 18:9 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
  14. Matthew 18:10 tc The most significant mss, along with others (א B L* Θ* ƒ1, 13 33 892* e ff1 sys sa), do not include 18:11 “For the Son of Man came to save the lost.” The verse is included in D Lmg N W Γ Δ Θc 078vid 565 579 700 892c 1241 1424 M lat syc,p,h, but is almost certainly not original, being borrowed from the parallel in Luke 19:10. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
  15. Matthew 18:12 tn Grk “a certain man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
  16. Matthew 18:12 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
  17. Matthew 18:12 sn Look for the one that went astray. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
  18. Matthew 18:13 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  19. Matthew 18:15 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated. All the “if” clauses in this paragraph are third class conditions in Greek.
  20. Matthew 18:15 tn The Greek term “brother” can mean “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a) whether male or female. It can also refer to siblings, though here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God. Therefore, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).
  21. Matthew 18:15 tc ‡ The earliest and best witnesses lack “against you” after “if your brother sins.” It is quite possible that the shorter reading in these witnesses (א B, as well as 0281 ƒ1 579 sa) occurred when scribes either intentionally changed the text (to make it more universal in application) or unintentionally changed the text (owing to the similar sound of the end of the verb ἁμαρτήσῃ [hamartēsē] and the prepositional phrase εἰς σέ [eis se]). However, if the mss were normally copied by sight rather than by sound, especially in the early centuries of Christianity, such an unintentional change is not as likely for these mss. And since scribes normally added material rather than deleted it for intentional changes, on balance, the shorter reading appears to be autographic. NA28 includes the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.
  22. Matthew 18:15 tn Grk “go reprove him.”
  23. Matthew 18:16 sn A quotation from Deut 19:15.
  24. Matthew 18:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  25. Matthew 18:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  26. Matthew 18:17 tn Grk “let him be to you as.”
  27. Matthew 18:17 tn Or “a pagan.”
  28. Matthew 18:17 sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person. See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
  29. Matthew 18:18 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  30. Matthew 18:19 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  31. Matthew 18:19 tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.
  32. Matthew 18:21 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
  33. Matthew 18:22 tn Or “seventy times seven,” i.e., an unlimited number of times. See L&N 60.74 and 60.77 for the two possible translations of the phrase.
  34. Matthew 18:23 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
  35. Matthew 18:24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  36. Matthew 18:24 sn A talent was a huge sum of money, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarius was the usual day’s wage for a worker. L&N 6.82 states, “a Greek monetary unit (also a unit of weight) with a value which fluctuated, depending upon the particular monetary system which prevailed at a particular period of time (a silver talent was worth approximately 6,000 denarii with gold talents worth at least thirty times that much).”
  37. Matthew 18:25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  38. Matthew 18:25 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  39. Matthew 18:25 tn Grk “and his wife.”
  40. Matthew 18:26 tn Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.
  41. Matthew 18:26 tc The majority of mss (א L W Γ Δ 058 0281 ƒ1, 13 33 565 579 1241 1424 M it syp,h co) begin the slave’s plea with “Lord” (κύριε, kurie), though a few key witnesses lack this vocative (B D Θ 700 lat sys,c Or Chr). Understanding the parable to refer to the Lord, scribes would be naturally prone to add the vocative here, especially as the slave’s plea is a plea for mercy. Thus, the shorter reading is more likely to be authentic.
  42. Matthew 18:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  43. Matthew 18:28 tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.
  44. Matthew 18:28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
  45. Matthew 18:28 tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”
  46. Matthew 18:28 tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  47. Matthew 18:29 tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  48. Matthew 18:31 tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
  49. Matthew 18:32 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. Matthew 18:34 tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.
  51. Matthew 18:35 tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).
  52. Matthew 18:35 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
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Mattheüs 18
BasisBijbel

De vraag wie het belangrijkste is

18 Op dat moment kwamen de leerlingen naar Jezus toe en vroegen Hem: "Wie is de belangrijkste in het Koninkrijk van God?" 2 Jezus riep een kind naar Zich toe. Hij zette het kind midden in de kring en zei: 3 "Luister goed! Ik zeg jullie: als jullie niet veranderen en gaan geloven als een kind, zullen jullie het Koninkrijk van God niet kunnen binnengaan. 4 Mensen die net zo willen zijn als een kind, zijn de belangrijkste mensen in het Koninkrijk van God. 5 En als je gastvrij bent voor een kind omdat je bij Mij hoort, ben je eigenlijk gastvrij voor Mij."

Mensen die anderen overhalen om slechte dingen te doen, zullen worden gestraft

6 Jezus zei: "Maar pas op als je één van deze kleintjes die in Mij geloven, overhaalt om slechte dingen te doen. Het zou dan beter voor je zijn geweest, als je met een grote steen om je nek in zee was gegooid dan dat je daarvoor de straf moet dragen. 7 Het zal slecht aflopen met de mensen die anderen overhalen om slechte dingen te doen. Ja, de mensen doen slechte dingen, dat kan niet anders. Maar het zal slecht aflopen met de mensen die hen daartoe hebben overgehaald."

Verleiding tot ongehoorzaamheid aan God

8 Jezus zei: "En als je in de verleiding komt om met je hand of je voet iets slechts te doen, hak hem dan liever af en gooi hem weg. Dan ga je met maar één hand of voet het eeuwige leven binnen. Maar dat is beter dan met twee handen of twee voeten in het eeuwige vuur van de hel gegooid te worden. 9 En als je door iets wat je ziet in de verleiding komt om iets slechts te doen, ruk je oog dan liever uit en gooi het weg. Dan ga je met maar één oog het eeuwige leven binnen. Maar dat is beter dan met twee ogen in het vuur van de hel gegooid te worden."

Het verhaal van het weggelopen schaap

10 Jezus zei: "Let er goed op dat jullie niet doen alsof de kleine kinderen helemaal niet meetellen. Want Ik zeg jullie dat hun engelen aldoor erg dicht bij mijn hemelse Vader mogen komen.

11 De Mensenzoon is gekomen om iedereen die verloren gaat, te redden. 12 Stel dat iemand 100 schapen heeft, en één schaap loopt bij de kudde weg. Wat zal hij dan doen? Wat denken jullie? Ik weet zeker dat hij de 99 schapen op de berg zal achterlaten om het weggelopen schaap te gaan zoeken. 13 En luister goed: als hij het dan vindt, is hij veel blijer over dat ene schaap dat hij weer heeft gevonden, dan over de 99 schapen die niet waren weggelopen. 14 Zo wil ook jullie hemelse Vader niet dat ook maar één van deze kinderen verloren gaat."

Help elkaar God te dienen

15 Jezus zei: "Als iemand verkeerd tegen je heeft gedaan, ga dan naar hem toe en praat met hem onder vier ogen. Als hij naar je luistert, heb je hem gered. 16 Als hij niet naar je wil luisteren, ga dan met nog één of twee mensen naar hem toe. Want als twee of drie mensen hem zeggen dat hij verkeerd heeft gedaan, dan hebben ze gelijk.[a] 17 Maar als hij ook naar hen niet wil luisteren, moet je het aan de gemeente vertellen. Als hij ook niet naar de gemeente wil luisteren, moet je hem behandelen als een ongelovig of slecht mens."

Gebed

18 Jezus zei: "Luister goed! Ik zeg jullie dat alles wat jullie op de aarde binden, gebonden is in de geestelijke wereld. En alles wat jullie op aarde vrijmaken, is vrijgemaakt in de geestelijke wereld. 19 Luister goed! Ik zeg jullie dat als twee van jullie op de aarde samen om iets bidden, dan zullen ze het krijgen van mijn hemelse Vader. 20 Want als twee of drie mensen die bij Mij horen, bij elkaar zijn, dan ben Ik daar Zelf ook."

Vergeving

21 Petrus kwam naar Jezus toe en vroeg: "Heer, hoe vaak moet ik iemand vergeven als hij iets verkeerds tegen mij doet? Zeven keer?" 22 Jezus zei tegen hem: "Ik zeg je: niet zeven keer, maar 70 keer zeven keer.[b]

23 Je kan het Koninkrijk van God vergelijken met een koning die besloot geld terug te eisen van de dienaren die hem nog geld moesten terugbetalen. 24 Toen hij daarmee begon, werd er een dienaar bij hem gebracht die hem nog 10.000 talenten (ongeveer 300.000 kilo goud, dus miljoenen Euro's) moest betalen. 25 Maar de dienaar had zoveel geld niet. Daarom gaf zijn heer het bevel dat de dienaar als slaaf moest worden verkocht, met zijn vrouw en kinderen en alles wat hij had. Want dan zou er geld zijn om hem iets terug te kunnen betalen. 26 Maar de dienaar liet zich voor de koning op zijn knieën vallen en smeekte hem: 'Heer, geef me nog even de tijd! Dan zal ik u alles terugbetalen!' 27 De koning kreeg medelijden met hem. Hij liet hem gaan en zei dat hij niets meer hoefde te betalen.

28 Toen die dienaar wegging, ging hij naar een andere dienaar die hem nog 100 penningen (een paar Euro) moest betalen. Hij greep hem bij de keel en zei: 'Betaal me onmiddellijk!' 29 Toen liet die dienaar zich voor hem op zijn knieën vallen en smeekte: 'Geef me nog even de tijd! Dan zal ik je alles terugbetalen!' 30 Maar hij wilde niet luisteren. Hij ging weg en liet de andere dienaar in de gevangenis zetten, totdat hij alles zou hebben betaald.

31 De andere dienaren zagen wat er gebeurde. Ze werden heel boos en vertelden het aan de koning. 32 De koning riep hem bij zich en zei tegen hem: 'Schurk! Ik kreeg nog een heel groot bedrag van jou. Maar toen je mij om geduld smeekte, heb ik jou gezegd dat je me niets meer hoefde te betalen. 33 Want ik had medelijden met je. Had jij dan geen medelijden moeten hebben met die andere dienaar?' 34 Hij was woedend op hem en liet hem naar de martelkamer brengen. Daar moest hij blijven totdat hij alles zou hebben betaald. 35 Dat zal ook mijn hemelse Vader met jullie doen als jullie andere mensen niet met je hele hart willen vergeven."

Footnotes

  1. Mattheüs 18:16 Dat was een regel in het Joodse recht. Lees Deuteronomium 19:15.
  2. Mattheüs 18:22 Het getal zeven in de bijbel betekent: volmaakt. Met het aantal '70 keer zeven keer' bedoelt Jezus dus niet 490 keer, maar: altijd.
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Matthew 18
New King James Version

Who Is the Greatest?(A)

18 At (B)that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 Then Jesus called a little (C)child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, (D)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 (E)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 (F)Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses(G)

6 (H)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of [a]offenses! For (I)offenses must come, but (J)woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8 (K)“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into [b]hell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep(L)

10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven (M)their angels always (N)see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 (O)For[c] the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12 (P)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the (Q)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

15 “Moreover (R)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, (S)you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that (T)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a (U)heathen and a tax collector.

18 “Assuredly, I say to you, (V)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 (W)“Again[d] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, (X)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered (Y)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? (Z)Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, (AA)up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded (AB)that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down [e]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you [f]all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you (AC)all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 (AD)“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother [g]his trespasses.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:7 enticements to sin
  2. Matthew 18:9 Gr. Gehenna
  3. Matthew 18:11 NU omits v. 11.
  4. Matthew 18:19 NU, M Again, assuredly, I say
  5. Matthew 18:29 NU omits at his feet
  6. Matthew 18:29 NU, M omit all
  7. Matthew 18:35 NU omits his trespasses
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BasisBijbel (BB)

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New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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