² It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin.^[a](A)

Temptations to Sin

⁴² “If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me^[a] to sin,^[b] it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.^(A)

¹⁴ So it is not the will of your^[a] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

³ and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(A) 4} Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.^(B)

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[a] it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.^(C)

¹¹ So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed.^{(A) 12} But when you thus sin against brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.^[a](A)

²⁴ The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

False Prophets and Their Punishment

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.^{(A) 2} Even so, many will follow their debaucheries, and because of these teachers^[a] the way of truth will be maligned. ³ And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.^(B)

²² To the weak I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.

¹⁵ But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this so that they may be applied in my case. Indeed, I would rather die than that—no one will deprive me of my ground for boasting!