马太福音 18
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
天国里谁最伟大
18 这时，门徒上前来，问耶稣：“在天国谁最伟大？”
2 耶稣叫了一个小孩子来站在他们当中，然后说： 3 “我实在告诉你们，你们若不变得像小孩子那样，绝不能进天国。 4 所以，凡像这小孩子一样谦卑的人，在天国才是最伟大的。
5 “任何人为了我的名而接待这样一个小孩子，就是接待了我。 6 但不论谁使这样一个小信徒失足犯罪，他的下场比把大磨石拴在他脖子上沉到深海里还要惨。 7 这世界有祸了！因为里面充满了引人犯罪的事。这样的事是免不了的，但那些引人犯罪的人有祸了！
8 “如果你的手或脚使你犯罪，就砍掉它！因为肢体残缺着进入永生，总比四肢健全却被丢进永远不灭的火中好。 9 如果你的一只眼睛使你犯罪，就剜出来丢掉它吧！独眼进入永生，总比双目健全却被丢进地狱的火中好。 10 你们切不可轻视任何一位卑微的人。我告诉你们，他们的天使在天上常见我天父的面。
迷失的羊
11 “人子到世界来，为要拯救迷失的人。 12 如果一个人有一百只羊，其中有一只走迷了路，他会怎么办呢？难道不会把那九十九只撇在山上，去找那只迷失的羊吗？ 13 我实在告诉你们，如果找到了，他会非常欢喜，甚至比有那九十九只没有迷失的羊还欢喜。 14 同样，你们的天父也不愿任何一个卑微的人失丧。
纠正信徒的过错
15 “如果你的弟兄得罪了你，你要找个机会跟他单独在一起，指出他的错处。如果他肯接受劝告，你就得了一位弟兄。 16 如果他不听劝告，你就带一两位弟兄去见他，让两三个人为谈话作证。 17 如果他仍然不听，就应当告诉教会。如果他连教会也不听，就把他看作异教徒或税吏[a]。 18 我实在告诉你们，你们在地上捆绑的，在天上也要捆绑；你们在地上释放的，在天上也要释放。
19 “我又告诉你们，如果你们当中有两个人在地上同心合意地祈求，不论求什么，我天上的父必为你们成就。 20 因为哪里有两三个人奉我的名聚会，我就在哪里与他们同在。”
七十个七次
21 彼得上前问耶稣：“主啊，如果我的弟兄得罪了我，我该饶恕他多少次呢？七次够了吧？”
22 耶稣回答说：“我告诉你，不是七次，是七十个七次。
23 “因此，天国就像一个王，他要跟奴仆清算债务。 24 正开始清算的时候，有人带着一个欠了六千万银币[b]的人进来。 25 因为这个人无法清还债款，王就下令把他及其妻儿和所有财产全部卖掉还债。 26 那奴仆跪在王面前乞求说，‘请宽容我，我会把债务全部还清的。’ 27 王可怜他，不但释放了他，而且免了他全部的债。
28 “可是，那奴仆出去后，遇见一位欠他一百个银币[c]的同伴，就揪住同伴，掐着他的喉咙说，‘还我钱！’ 29 同伴跪下哀求道，‘请宽容我，我会还你的。’
30 “那奴仆却不肯，竟把同伴送进监狱，直到他还清债务为止。 31 其他的奴仆目睹这一切，都愤愤不平，把这件事告诉了王。
32 “于是，王把那奴仆召来，说，‘你这可恶的奴才！你哀求我，我就免了你所有的债。 33 难道你不应该怜悯你的同伴，就像我怜悯你一样吗？’ 34 王大怒，下令把他交给狱卒受刑，直到他还清全部的债务。 35 如果你们不从心里饶恕自己的弟兄，我的天父也要这样对待你们。”
Matthew 18
Contemporary English Version
Who Is the Greatest?
(Mark 9.33-37; Luke 9.46-48)
18 (A) About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 2 Jesus called for a child to come over and stand near him. 3 (B) Then he said:
I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. 4 But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.
Temptations To Sin
(Mark 9.42-48; Luke 17.1,2)
6 It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the deepest part of the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks! 7 The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to sin. There will always be something to cause people to sin, but anyone who does this will be in for trouble.
8 (C) If your hand or foot causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! You would be better off to go into life paralyzed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out. 9 (D) If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and get rid of it. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.
The Lost Sheep
(Luke 15.3-7)
10-11 (E) Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you their angels are always with my Father in heaven.[a] 12 Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had 100 sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the 99 on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the 99 that never wandered off. 14 That's how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost.
When Someone Sins
(Luke 17.3)
15 (F) If one of my followers[b] sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. 16 (G) But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. 17 If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.[c]
Allowing and Not Allowing
18 (H) I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don't allow. 19 I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 Whenever two or three of you come together in my name,[d] I am there with you.
An Official Who Refused To Forgive
21 (I) Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone[e] who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?”
22 (J) Jesus answered:
Not just 7 times, but 77 times![f] 23 This story will show you what the kingdom of heaven is like:
One day a king decided to call in his officials and ask them to give an account of what they owed him. 24 As he was doing this, one official was brought in who owed him 50,000,000 silver coins. 25 But he didn't have any money to pay what he owed. The king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he owned, in order to pay the debt.
26 The official got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you every cent I owe!” 27 The king felt sorry for him and let him go free. He even told the official that he did not have to pay back the money.
28 But as this official was leaving, he happened to meet another official, who owed him 100 silver coins. So he grabbed the man by the throat. He started choking him and said, “Pay me what you owe!”
29 The man got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you back.” 30 But the first official refused to have pity. Instead, he went and had the other official put in jail until he could pay what he owed.
31 When some other officials found out what had happened, they felt sorry for the man who had been put in jail. Then they told the king what had happened. 32 The king called the first official back in and said, “You're an evil man! When you begged for mercy, I said you did not have to pay back a cent. 33 Don't you think you should show pity to someone else, as I did to you?” 34 The king was so angry that he ordered the official to be tortured until he could pay back everything he owed. 35 That is how my Father in heaven will treat you, if you don't forgive each of my followers with all your heart.
Footnotes
- 18.10,11 in heaven: Some manuscripts add, “The Son of Man came to save people who are lost.”
- 18.15 followers: The Greek text has “brother,” which is used here and elsewhere in this chapter to refer to a follower of Christ.
- 18.17 tax collector: See the note at 5.46.
- 18.20 in my name: Or “as my followers.”
- 18.21 someone: Or “a follower.” See the note at 18.15.
- 18.22 77 times: Or “70 times 7.” The large number means that one follower should never stop forgiving another.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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