Matthew 18
New Catholic Bible
Instructions to the Disciples: The Charter of the Community[a]
Chapter 18
Become Like Little Children.[b] 1 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus beckoned a child to come to him, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Woe to the World because of Scandals.[c] 5 “And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of scandals. Such things are bound to occur, but woe to the one through whom they come.
8 [d]“If your hand or your foot is an occasion of sin for you, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into the fires of Gehenna.
10 “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven gaze continually on the face of my heavenly Father. [ 11 For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost.][e]
12 The Parable of the Lost Sheep.[f]“Tell me your opinion. If a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the other ninety-nine on the hillside and go off in search of the one who went astray? 13 And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he is more filled with joy over it than over the ninety-nine who did not wander off. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should be lost.
15 The Church: Community of Love, Prayer, and Pardon.[g]“If your brother wrongs you, go and take up the matter with him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every detail may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, report it to the Church. And if he refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
18 “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 [Amen,] I say to you, further, if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst.”
21 Then Peter came up to him and asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy times seven.[h]
23 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.[i]“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[j] 25 Since he had no possible way to repay what he owed, his master ordered him to be sold, together with his wife, his children, and all his property, to satisfy the debt. 26 At this, the servant fell to his knees, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion, the master of that servant let him go and canceled the debt.
28 “However, when that servant left, he encountered one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii,[k] and, choking him, he demanded, ‘Pay me back what you owe.’ 29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he turned a deaf ear and had him thrown into prison until he had repaid the debt.
31 “When his fellow servants observed what had happened, they were greatly upset, and, going to their master, they reported everything that had taken place. 32 Then his master sent for the man and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you for your complete debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in his anger his master handed him over to be tortured until he repaid the entire debt. 35 In the same way, my heavenly Father will also deal with you unless each of you forgives his brother from the heart.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:1 In this fourth collection of the sayings of Jesus, there are a good number that we have already met, and we recognize here, at times, the tone of the “Sermon on the Mount” (chs. 5–7). Everything is focused on the coming of the kingdom, but the words of Jesus now apply to the community life of the disciples. Chapter 18 is known as the “ecclesiastical discourse” because it describes the demands made by brotherhood in the Church of Jesus, which is a community of love, prayer, and forgiveness.
- Matthew 18:1 The true disciple of Jesus must renounce all ambition and become as simple and humble as a child.
- Matthew 18:5 Woe to those who give scandal to the little ones, i.e., the disciples of the Gospel, so as to make them fall. The Lord identifies himself with them and issues severe threats for those who wish to pervert them. Indeed, they have angels who always see the face of the Father in heaven—the guardian angels—thus showing their great worth in God’s eyes.
- Matthew 18:8 These verses are already to be found substantially in Mt 5:29-30; the evangelist repeats them because they have to do with “scandal.” The point is that no one can be saved who does not break completely with evil.
- Matthew 18:11 This verse is missing from the most important manuscripts and seems to have been transferred to this point from Lk 19:10.
- Matthew 18:12 In this parable, Jesus suggests what price the Father attaches to the salvation of sinners. The evangelist uses it as an appeal to the community that it may never become inhospitable to the least of believers, no matter how lost they may appear.
- Matthew 18:15 When believers live with trust in God and in communion with one another, Christ is in their midst. Doubtless, judgment is to be passed upon those who “sin,” i.e., who gravely and publicly injure the unity; but all must remain ready to forgive without measure.
- Matthew 18:22 Seventy times seven: the Greek word may also be translated “seventy-seven times.”
- Matthew 18:23 The law of pardon must ceaselessly renew the fraternal relationships in the Church. It is founded on the goodness of God who gratuitously forgives the immense sin of human beings.
- Matthew 18:24 Ten thousand talents: an enormous sum, equivalent to about 250,000 kg of silver. The Attic talent in circulation at that time was worth 6000 drachmas, and a drachma weighed about 4 gr.
- Matthew 18:28 One hundred denarii: the denarius was a Roman silver coin with the image and name of the emperor on it; it weighed about 4 gr and was the salary for a day’s work. A hundred denarii were therefore a sum 600,000 times less than the ten thousand talents.
Mattityahu 18
Orthodox Jewish Bible
18 At that time, the talmidim approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach with this she’elah saying, Who then is greatest in the Malchut HaShomayim?
2 And having called a yeled to himself, he set him before them,
3 and said, Omein, I say to you, unless you change inwardly and have a complete turn around and become like yeladim, you shall never enter the Malchut HaShomayim.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this yeled, he is the greatest in the Malchut HaShomayim.
5 And whoever receives one such yeled in my Name receives me [Moshiach].
6 But whoever causes a michshol (stumbling block) for one of these little ones, who have emunah in me, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Oy lOlam (Woe to the World) because of its michsholim (stumbling blocks)! For it is inevitable that michsholim come; but oy to that man through whom the michshol comes.
8 And if your hand or your foot causes a michshol for you, cut it off, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter Chayyim crippled or as one of the pisechim (lame), than, having two hands and two feet, to be cast into the Eish Olam (Eternal Fire).
9 And if your eye causes a michshol for you, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter Chayyim one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehinnom HaEish.
10 See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I say to you that their malachim which are in Shomayim continually behold the face of Avi shbaShomayim (my Father who is in Heaven).
11 For the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] came to save that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If any man owns a hundred kevesim (sheep) and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go and search for the one that is straying?
13 And if it turns out that he finds it, beemes I say to you, he has more simcha (joy) over it than over the ninetynine which have not gone astray.
14 Thus it is not the ratzon Hashem, the will of your Av shbaShomayim, that one of these little ones perish.
15 And if your Ach b’Moshiach sins against you, go and reprove him in private, just between the two of you; if he listens to you, you have gained your Ach b’Moshiach.
16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more Achim b’Moshiach with you, so that by the PI SHNAYIM SHLOSHAH EDIM (by the mouth of two or three witnesses, DEVARIM 19:15) every word shall be established.
17 But if he refuses to listen to them, speak to the shtiebel kehillah, and if he even refuses to hear the kehillah, let him be to you as the Goy (heathen, pagan) and the moches (tax-collector).
18 Omein, I say to you, whatever you bind as asur (prohibited) on haaretz will have been bound in Shomayim, and whatever you permit as mutar on haaretz is mutar (permitted) in Shomayim.
19 Again, omein, I say to you, that if two of you will be in agreement about anything on haaretz that you petition for, it will be done for them by Avi shbaShomayim.
20 For where two or three are gathered as a Chavurah and are a Kehillah in my name [Moshiach], there I am in the midst of them.
21 Then, having approached, Kefa said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach: Adoni, how often will my brother sin against me and I will grant to him selicha (forgiveness)? As many as shevah (seven) times?
22 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to Kefa, I do not say to you as many as shevah, but as many as shivim (seventy) times shevah.
23 Therefore, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a melech, a king, who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24 And having begun to settle accounts, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to the melech.
25 And, as this debtor did not have the means to pay what was owed his adon, the king commanded that he and his wife and children and everything he possessed be sold and the debt repaid.
26 Therefore, crying out for rachamim (mercy) and falling down before him, the servant said, Have zitzfleisch (patience) with me and I will pay back to you everything!
27 And out of rachamanut (compassion), the adon of that servant pardoned him and forgave the choiv (debt).
28 Then the debtor went out and found one of the other fellow servants who happened to owe the debtor one hundred denarii. And seizing and choking the servant, the debtor said, Repay what you owe me!
29 And, falling down, the servant said to the debtor, Have zitzfleisch (patience) with me and I will repay you.
30 But the debtor was not willing. Then the debtor went and threw the servant into the beit hasohar (prison) until he should repay the debt.
31 Therefore, when the man’s fellow servants saw what had taken place, great was their agmat nefesh (grief), and they went and reported to their adon all that had taken place.
32 Then having summoned the debtor, his adon said to him, Wicked servant, all that choiv (debt) I forgave you, because you begged me.
33 Was it not necessary also for you to have rachamim (mercy) upon your fellow servant?
34 And in charon af (wrath), his adon handed the debtor over to the keepers of the beit hasohar until the debtor should repay the entire choiv (debt).
35 Thus also Avi shbaShomayim will do to you, unless you grant selicha (forgiveness), each one to his brother from your lev (heart).
Matthew 18
American Standard Version
18 In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is [a]greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the [b]greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: 6 but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that [c]a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! 8 And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. 9 And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the [d]hell of fire. 10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.[e] 12 How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. 14 Even so it is not [f]the will of [g]your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
15 And if thy brother sin [h]against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the [i]church: and if he refuse to hear the [j]church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the [k]publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it [l]shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until [m]seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his [n]servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:1 Greek greater.
- Matthew 18:4 Greek greater.
- Matthew 18:6 Greek a millstone turned by an ass.
- Matthew 18:9 Greek Gehenna of fire.
- Matthew 18:10 Many authorities, some ancient, insert verse 11 For the Son of man came to save that which was lost. See Lk. 19:10.
- Matthew 18:14 Greek a thing willed before your Father.
- Matthew 18:14 Some ancient authorities read my.
- Matthew 18:15 Some ancient authorities omit against thee.
- Matthew 18:17 Or, congregation
- Matthew 18:17 Or, congregation
- Matthew 18:17 See marginal note on 5:46.
- Matthew 18:19 Greek shall become.
- Matthew 18:22 Or, seventy times and seven
- Matthew 18:23 Greek bondservants.
- Matthew 18:24 This talent was probably worth about £200, or $1000.
- Matthew 18:26 Greek bondservant.
- Matthew 18:26 See marginal note on 2:2.
- Matthew 18:27 Greek bondservant.
- Matthew 18:27 Greek loan.
- Matthew 18:28 Greek bondservant.
- Matthew 18:28 The word in the Greek denotes a coin worth about eight pence half-penny, or nearly seventeen cents.
- Matthew 18:32 Greek bondservant.
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