Matthew 18
Amplified Bible
Rank in the Kingdom
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”(A) 2 He called a little child and set him before them, 3 and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever [a]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives and welcomes one [b]child like this in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.(B)
Stumbling Blocks
7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!(C)
8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. 9 If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.
10 “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven.(D) 11 [c][For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]
Ninety-nine Plus One
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?(E) 13 And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. 14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost.
Discipline and Prayer
15 “If your brother sins[d], go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the [e]church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.(F) 18 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [f]shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [g]shall have [already] been loosed in heaven.(G)
19 “Again I say to you, that if two [h]believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.(H) 20 For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”(I)
Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000 [i]talents was brought to him. 25 But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And his master’s heart was moved with compassion and he released him and forgave him [canceling] the debt. 28 But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him [j]a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master [with clarity and in detail] everything that had taken place. 32 Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked and contemptible slave, I forgave all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave [who owed you little by comparison], as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:4 I.e. turns his back on self-righteous pride and adopts a realistic self-view.
- Matthew 18:5 I.e. new, childlike believer.
- Matthew 18:11 Early mss do not contain this verse.
- Matthew 18:15 Late mss add against you.
- Matthew 18:17 Gr ecclasia, the word means a gathering and may be translated congregation, assembly, or church.
- Matthew 18:18 Gr estai lelumenon, future perfect passive.
- Matthew 18:18 Gr estai lelumenon, future perfect passive.
- Matthew 18:19 Lit of you.
- Matthew 18:24 A talent was a measurement of weight, usually 58-80 pounds. One talent of silver was worth more than 15 years’ wages. One talent of gold was worth even more. 10,000 talents would be an inconceivable amount of debt for a slave in the king’s service to repay.
- Matthew 18:28 About 100 days’ wages for a laborer.
Mateo 18
Reina Valera Contemporánea
¿Quién es el mayor?(A)
18 En ese momento los discípulos se acercaron a Jesús, y le preguntaron: «¿Quién es el mayor en el reino de los cielos?»(B) 2 Jesús llamó a un niño, lo puso en medio de ellos, 3 y dijo: «De cierto les digo, que si ustedes no cambian y se vuelven como niños, no entrarán en el reino de los cielos.(C) 4 Así que, cualquiera que se humilla como este niño es el mayor en el reino de los cielos; 5 y cualquiera que recibe en mi nombre a un niño como éste, me recibe a mí.
Ocasiones de caer(D)
6 »A cualquiera que haga tropezar a alguno de estos pequeños que creen en mí, más le valdría que le colgaran al cuello una piedra de molino, y que lo hundieran en el fondo del mar.
7 »¡Ay del mundo por los tropiezos! Es necesario que vengan tropiezos, pero ¡ay de aquél por quien viene el tropiezo! 8 Por tanto, si tu mano o tu pie te llevan a pecar, córtatelos y deséchalos. Es mejor que entres en la vida cojo o manco, y no que tengas las dos manos o los dos pies y seas echado en el fuego eterno.(E) 9 Y si tu ojo te hace pecar, sácatelo y deséchalo. Es mejor que entres en la vida con un solo ojo, y no que tengas los dos ojos y seas echado en el infierno de fuego.(F)
Parábola de la oveja perdida(G)
10 »Tengan cuidado de no menospreciar a uno de estos pequeños, porque yo les digo que sus ángeles en los cielos ven siempre el rostro de mi Padre que está en los cielos. 11 Porque el Hijo del Hombre ha venido a salvar lo que se había perdido.(H) 12 ¿Qué les parece? Si un hombre tiene cien ovejas, y una de ellas se pierde, ¿no deja las otras noventa y nueve y va por los montes a buscar la que se ha perdido? 13 Si llega a encontrarla, de cierto les digo que se regocijará más por aquélla, que por las noventa y nueve que no se perdieron. 14 Del mismo modo, el Padre de ustedes, que está en los cielos, no quiere que se pierda ninguno de estos pequeños.
Cómo se debe perdonar al hermano
15 »Por tanto, si tu hermano peca contra ti, ve y repréndelo cuando él y tú estén solos. Si te hace caso, habrás ganado a tu hermano.(I) 16 Pero si no te hace caso, haz que te acompañen uno o dos más, para que todo lo que se diga conste en labios de dos o tres testigos.(J) 17 Si tampoco a ellos les hace caso, hazlo saber a la iglesia; y si tampoco a la iglesia le hace caso, ténganlo entonces por gentil y cobrador de impuestos. 18 De cierto les digo que todo lo que aten en la tierra, será atado en el cielo; y todo lo que desaten en la tierra, será desatado en el cielo.(K) 19 Una vez más les digo, que si en este mundo dos de ustedes se ponen de acuerdo en lo que piden, mi Padre, que está en los cielos, se lo concederá. 20 Porque donde dos o tres se reúnen en mi nombre, allí estoy yo, en medio de ellos.»
21 Entonces se le acercó Pedro y le dijo: «Señor, si mi hermano peca contra mí, ¿cuántas veces debo perdonarlo? ¿Hasta siete veces?» 22 Jesús le dijo: «No te digo que hasta siete veces, sino hasta setenta veces siete.»(L)
Los dos deudores
23 Por eso, el reino de los cielos es semejante a un rey que quiso hacer cuentas con sus siervos. 24 Cuando comenzó a hacer cuentas, le llevaron a uno que le debía plata por millones. 25 Como éste no podía pagar, su señor ordenó que lo vendieran, junto con su mujer y sus hijos, y con todo lo que tenía, para que la deuda quedara pagada. 26 Pero aquel siervo se postró ante él, y le suplicó: «Señor, ten paciencia conmigo, y yo te lo pagaré todo.» 27 El rey de aquel siervo se compadeció de él, lo dejó libre y le perdonó la deuda. 28 Cuando aquel siervo salió, se encontró con uno de sus consiervos, que le debía cien días de salario, y agarrándolo por el cuello le dijo: «Págame lo que me debes.» 29 Su consiervo se puso de rodillas y le rogó: «Ten paciencia conmigo, y yo te lo pagaré todo.» 30 Pero aquél no quiso, sino que lo mandó a la cárcel hasta que pagara la deuda. 31 Cuando sus consiervos vieron lo que pasaba, se pusieron muy tristes y fueron a contarle al rey todo lo que había pasado. 32 Entonces el rey le ordenó presentarse ante él, y le dijo: «Siervo malvado, yo te perdoné toda aquella gran deuda, porque me rogaste. 33 ¿No debías tú tener misericordia de tu consiervo, como yo la tuve de ti?» 34 Y muy enojado, el rey lo entregó a los verdugos hasta que pagara todo lo que le debía. 35 Así también mi Padre celestial hará con ustedes, si no perdonan de todo corazón a sus hermanos.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas