² This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.

¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.^(A) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?^(A) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them,^(B) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children^(C) of the Most High,^(D) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful,^(E) just as your Father^(F) is merciful.

Judging Others^(G)

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.^(H) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.^{(I) 38} Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.^(J) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”^(K)

²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,^(A) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold^(B) to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.^(C) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[a] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

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

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

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 had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”^(D)

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.^{(A) 15} But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.^(B)

⁵ saying,