Jesus Blesses the Little Children^(A)

¹⁵ Now some people^[a] were even bringing their infants to Jesus^[b] to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people^[c] not to do that. ¹⁶ Jesus, however, called for the children^[d] and said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these. ¹⁷ I tell all of you^[e] with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never get into it at all.”