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Matthew 18
Living Bible
Matthew 18
Living Bible
18 About that time the disciples came to Jesus to ask which of them would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven!
2 Jesus called a small child over to him and set the little fellow down among them, 3 and said, “Unless you turn to God from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Therefore anyone who humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 And any of you who welcomes a little child like this because you are mine is welcoming me and caring for me. 6 But if any of you causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose his faith,[a] it would be better for you to have a rock tied to your neck and be thrown into the sea.
7 “Woe upon the world for all its evils.[b] Temptation to do wrong is inevitable, but woe to the man who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Better to enter heaven crippled than to be in hell with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. Better to enter heaven with one eye than to be in hell with two.
10 “Beware that you don’t look down upon a single one of these little children. For I tell you that in heaven their angels have constant access[c] to my Father. 11 And I, the Messiah,[d] came to save the lost.
12 “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one? 13 And if he finds it, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine others safe at home! 14 Just so, it is not my Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
15 “If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault. If he listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother. 16 But if not, then take one or two others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these witnesses. 17 If he still refuses to listen, then take your case to the church, and if the church’s verdict favors you, but he won’t accept it, then the church should excommunicate him.[e] 18 And I tell you this—whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth will be freed in heaven.
19 “I also tell you this—if two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I will be right there among them.”
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Sir, how often should I forgive a brother who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven!
23 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him $10 million!
26 “But the man fell down before the king, his face in the dust, and said, ‘Oh, sir, be patient with me and I will pay it all.’
27 “Then the king was filled with pity for him and released him and forgave his debt.
28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a man who owed him $2,000
29 “The man fell down before him and begged him to give him a little time. ‘Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pled.
30 “But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt would be paid in full.
31 “Then the man’s friends went to the king and told him what had happened. 32 And the king called before him the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil-hearted wretch! Here I forgave you all that tremendous debt, just because you asked me to— 33 shouldn’t you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you?’
34 “Then the angry king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. 35 So shall my heavenly Father do to you if you refuse to truly forgive your brothers.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:6 to lose his faith, literally, “to stumble.”
- Matthew 18:7 for all its evils, literally, “because of occasions of stumbling.”
- Matthew 18:10 have constant access, or “do always behold.”
- Matthew 18:11 the Messiah, literally, “the Son of Man.” Verse 11 is left out of many manuscripts, some ancient.
- Matthew 18:17 should excommunicate him, literally, “should let him be to you as the Gentile and the publican.”
- Matthew 18:24 $10 million, literally, “10,000 talents.” Approximately £3 million.
- Matthew 18:28 $2,000, approximately £700.
Matthew 18
English Standard Version
Matthew 18
English Standard Version
Who Is the Greatest?
18 (A)At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you (B)turn and (C)become like children, you (D)will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 (E)Whoever humbles himself like this child is the (F)greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 (G)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but (H)whoever causes one of these (I)little ones who believe in me to sin,[a] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Temptations to Sin
7 “Woe to the world for (J)temptations to sin![b] (K)For it is necessary that temptations come, (L)but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 (M)And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into (N)the eternal fire. 9 (O)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the (P)hell[c] of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise (Q)one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven (R)their angels always (S)see the face of my Father who is in heaven.[d] 12 (T)What do you think? (U)If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So (V)it is not the will of my[e] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 (W)“If your brother sins against you, (X)go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have (Y)gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established (Z)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, (AA)tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, (AB)let him be to you as (AC)a Gentile and (AD)a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, (AE)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[f] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you (AF)agree on earth about anything they ask, (AG)it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are (AH)gathered in my name, (AI)there am I among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often (AJ)will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? (AK)As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished (AL)to settle accounts with his servants.[h] 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him (AM)ten thousand (AN)talents.[i] 25 (AO)And since he could not pay, his master ordered him (AP)to be sold, with his wife and (AQ)children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant[j] (AR)fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and (AS)forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred (AT)denarii,[k] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 (AU)And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 (AV)And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,[l] (AW)until he should pay all his debt. 35 (AX)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother (AY)from your heart.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:6 Greek causes… to stumble; also verses 8, 9
- Matthew 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks
- Matthew 18:9 Greek Gehenna
- Matthew 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost
- Matthew 18:14 Some manuscripts your
- Matthew 18:18 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed
- Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
- Matthew 18:23 Or bondservants; also verses 28, 31
- Matthew 18:24 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
- Matthew 18:26 Or bondservant; also verses 27, 28, 29, 32, 33
- Matthew 18:28 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
- Matthew 18:34 Greek torturers
Mateo 18
Reina Valera Revisada
Mateo 18
Reina Valera Revisada
¿Quién es el mayor?
18 En aquel momento se acercaron los discípulos a Jesús, diciendo: ¿Quién es, entonces, mayor en el reino de los cielos?
2 Y llamando Jesús a un niño, lo puso en medio de ellos,
3 y dijo: De cierto os digo, que si no os volvéis y os hacéis como los niños, de ningún modo entraréis en el reino de los cielos.
4 Así que, cualquiera que se humille como este niño, ése es el mayor en el reino de los cielos.
5 Y cualquiera que reciba en mi nombre a un niño como éste, a mí me recibe.
Ocasiones de caer
6 Pero al que haga tropezar a alguno de estos pequeños que creen en mí, más le valdría que le colgasen al cuello una piedra de molino de asno, y que le hundieran en el fondo del mar.
7 ¡Ay del mundo por los tropiezos! Porque es necesario que vengan tropiezos, pero ¡ay de aquel hombre por quien viene el tropiezo!
8 Por tanto, si tu mano o tu pie te es ocasión de caer, córtatelo y échalo de ti; mejor te es entrar en la vida cojo o manco, que teniendo dos manos o dos pies ser echado en el fuego eterno.
9 Y si tu ojo te es ocasión de caer, arráncatelo y échalo de ti; mejor te es entrar con un solo ojo en la vida, que teniendo dos ojos ser echado en el infierno de fuego.
Parábola de la oveja perdida
10 Mirad que no menospreciéis a uno de estos pequeños; porque os digo que sus ángeles en los cielos están viendo siempre el rostro de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
11 Porque el Hijo del Hombre ha venido para salvar lo que se había perdido.
12 ¿Qué os parece? Si un hombre tiene cien ovejas, y se descarría una de ellas, ¿no dejará las noventa y nueve y va por los montes a buscar la que se había descarriado?
13 Y si acontece que la encuentra, de cierto os digo que se regocija más por aquélla, que por las noventa y nueve que no se habían descarriado.
14 Así, no es la voluntad de vuestro Padre que está en los cielos, que se pierda uno de estos pequeños.
Cómo se debe perdonar al hermano
15 Y si tu hermano peca contra ti, ve y repréndele a solas tú con él; si te escucha, has ganado a tu hermano.
16 Pero si no te escucha, toma aún contigo a uno o dos, para que por boca de dos o tres testigos conste toda palabra.
17 Si rehúsa escucharles a ellos, dilo a la iglesia; y si también rehúsa escuchar a la iglesia, sea para ti como el gentil y el publicano.
18 De cierto os digo que todo lo que atéis en la tierra, estará atado en el cielo; y todo lo que desatéis en la tierra, estará desatado en el cielo.
19 Otra vez os digo, que si dos de vosotros se ponen de acuerdo en la tierra acerca de cualquier cosa que pidan, les será hecho por mi Padre que está en los cielos.
20 Porque donde están dos o tres congregados en mi nombre, allí estoy en medio de ellos.
El perdón de las injurias
21 Entonces se le acercó Pedro y le dijo: Señor, ¿cuántas veces perdonaré a mi hermano que peque contra mí? ¿Hasta siete veces?
22 Jesús le dijo: No te digo hasta siete veces, sino aun hasta setenta veces siete.
Parábola de los dos deudores
23 Por lo cual el reino de los cielos es semejante a un rey que quiso ajustar cuentas con sus siervos.
24 Y al comenzar a ajustar cuentas, le fue presentado uno que le debía diez mil talentos.
25 No teniendo él con qué pagar, su señor mandó que fuera vendido él, su mujer y sus hijos, y todo lo que tenía, y que se le pagase la deuda.
26 Entonces aquel siervo se postró ante él, diciendo: Señor, ten paciencia conmigo, y te lo pagaré todo.
27 El señor de aquel siervo, movido a compasión, le soltó y le perdonó la deuda.
28 Pero aquel siervo, al salir, se encontró con uno de sus consiervos, que le debía cien denarios; y agarrándolo, le ahogaba, diciendo: Págame lo que me debes.
29 Entonces su consiervo, postrándose a sus pies, le rogaba, diciendo: Ten paciencia conmigo, y te lo pagaré todo.
30 Pero él no quiso, sino que fue y le echó en la cárcel, hasta que pagase la deuda.
31 Viendo sus consiervos lo ocurrido, se entristecieron sobremanera, y fueron y refirieron a su señor todo lo que había pasado.
32 Entonces, llamándole su señor, le dijo: Siervo malvado, toda aquella deuda te perdoné, porque me lo suplicaste.
33 ¿No debías tú también haberte compadecido de tu consiervo, como yo tuve compasión de ti?
34 Entonces su señor, enojado, le entregó a los verdugos, hasta que pagase todo lo que le debía.
35 Así también mi Padre celestial hará con vosotros si no perdonáis de corazón cada uno a su hermano sus ofensas.
Matthew 18
New International Version
Matthew 18
New International Version
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(A)
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(B) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(C) 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(D) 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(E)
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(F) 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!(G) 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,(H) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(I) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.(J)
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep(K)
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels(L) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a]
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault,(M) just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d](N) 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;(O) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.(P)
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.(Q)
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them(R) by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(S)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?(T) Up to seven times?”(U)
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g](V)
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like(W) a king who wanted to settle accounts(X) with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay,(Y) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold(Z) to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.(AA) ‘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.[i] 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.”(AB)
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.
- Matthew 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.
- Matthew 18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you
- Matthew 18:16 Deut. 19:15
- Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
- Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
- Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
- Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
- Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Reina Valera Revisada (RVR1977) 
Texto bíblico tomado de La Santa Biblia, Reina Valera Revisada® RVR® Copyright © 2017 por HarperCollins Christian Publishing® Usado con permiso. Reservados todos los derechos en todo el mundo.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.