Matthew 18
Common English Bible
Greatest in the kingdom
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples, 3 and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Falling into sin
6 “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and be drowned in the bottom of the lake. 7 How terrible it is for the world because of the things that cause people to trip and fall into sin! Such things have to happen, but how terrible it is for the person who causes those things to happen! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter into life crippled or lame than to be thrown into the eternal fire with two hands or two feet. 9 If your eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter into life with one eye than to be cast into a burning hell with two eyes.
Parable of the lost sheep
10 “Be careful that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven.[a] 12 What do you think? If someone had one hundred sheep and one of them wandered off, wouldn’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go in search for the one that wandered off? 13 If he finds it, I assure you that he is happier about having that one sheep than about the ninety-nine who didn’t wander off. 14 In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn’t want to lose one of these little ones.
Sinning brother or sister
15 “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then you’ve won over your brother or sister. 16 But if they won’t listen, take with you one or two others so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.[b] 17 But if they still won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they won’t pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector. 18 I assure you that whatever you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. And whatever you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven. 19 Again I assure you that if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, then my Father who is in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I’m there with them.”
Parable of the unforgiving servant
21 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times.[c] 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, they brought to him a servant who owed him ten thousand bags of gold.[d] 25 Because the servant didn’t have enough to pay it back, the master ordered that he should be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he had, and that the proceeds should be used as payment. 26 But the servant fell down, kneeled before him, and said, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 27 The master had compassion on that servant, released him, and forgave the loan.
28 “When that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred coins.[e] He grabbed him around the throat and said, ‘Pay me back what you owe me.’
29 “Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he threw him into prison until he paid back his debt.
31 “When his fellow servants saw what happened, they were deeply offended. They came and told their master all that happened. 32 His master called the first servant and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you appealed to me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His master was furious and handed him over to the guard responsible for punishing prisoners, until he had paid the whole debt.
35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 18:10 18:11 is omitted in most critical editions of the Gk New Testament For the Human One has come to save the lost.
- Matthew 18:16 Deut 19:15
- Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
- Matthew 18:24 Or ten thousand talanta, an amount equal to the wages for sixty million days
- Matthew 18:28 Or one hundred denaria, an amount equal to the wages for one hundred days
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.
Matthew 18
Maori Bible
18 I taua wa ka haere mai nga akonga ki a Ihu, ka mea, Ko wai te nui rawa i te rangatiratanga o te rangi?
2 Na ka karangatia e Ihu tetahi tamaiti nohinohi, ka whakaturia e ia ki waenganui i a ratou,
3 Ka mea, He pono taku e mea nei ki a koutou, Ki te kore koutou e tahuri, a e penei me nga tamariki nonohi, e kore koutou e tomo ki te rangatiratanga o te rangi.
4 Na, ki te whakaiti tetahi i a ia, a ka rite ki tenei tamaiti nohinohi, ko ia te nui rawa i te rangatiratanga o te rangi.
5 A, ki te manako tetahi ki tetahi tamaiti nohinohi penei, he whakaaro hoki ki toku ingoa, e manako ana ki ahau.
6 Tena ko tenei, ka he i tetahi tangata tetahi o enei mea nonohi e whakapono nei ki ahau, nui ke te pai ki a ia me i whakawerewerea ki tona kaki te kohatu mira kaihe, me i pungaia ia ki te rire o te moana.
7 Aue te mate mo te ao i nga take he! kua tino takoto rawa hoki he putanga mo nga take he; otiia aue te mate no tera tangata e puta ai te take he!
8 Ki te he koe i tou ringa, i tou waewae ranei, poutoa, maka atu: pai ke hoki mou te tomo ki te ora he kopa, he ringa mutu, i te maka ki te ahi ka tonu, he ringa rua, he waewae rua.
9 Ki te he hoki koe i tou kanohi, tikarohia, maka atu: pai ke hoki mou te tomo kanohi tahi ki te ora, i te maka kanohi rua ki te kapura o Kehena.
10 Kia mahara kei whakahawea ki tetahi o enei mea nohinohi: ko taku kupu hoki tenei ki a koutou, E titiro tonu ana o ratou anahera i te rangi ki te kanohi o toku Matua i te rangi.
11 I haere mai hoki te Tama a te tangata ki te whakaora i te mea i ngaro.
12 Pehea to koutou whakaaro? ki te mea he rau nga hipi a tetahi tangata, a ka kotiti ke tetahi, e kore ianei e waiho e ia nga iwa tekau ma iwa, ka haere i runga i nga maunga, rapu ai i te mea i kotiti ke?
13 A, ki te kitea, he pono taku e mea nei ki a koutou, tera atu, tona hari ki taua hipi, i te hari ki nga iwa tekau ma iwa kihai i kotiti ke.
14 Waihoki kahore he ngakau o to koutou Matua i te rangi kia ngaro tetahi o enei mea nonohi.
15 A, ki te hara tou teina ki a koe, haere, korerotia tona hara ki a ia, korua anake: ki te whakarongo ia ki a koe, ka riro i a koe tou teina.
16 A, ki te kore ia e whakarongo, kawea atu hei hoa mou kia kotahi, kia tokorua ranei, kia mau ai nga kupu katoa i nga mangai o nga kaiwhakarongo tokorua, tokotoru ranei.
17 A, kite pake ia ki a raua, korerotia ki te hahi: a ki te pake ano ia ki te hahi, me waiho e koe hei tautangata, hei pupirikana.
18 He pono taku e mea nei ki a koutou, Ko a koutou e here ai i te whenua e herea ano ki te rangi: ko a koutou e wewete ai i te whenua e wetekia ano ki te rangi.
19 Tenei ano taku kupu ki a koutou, Ki te mea ka tokorua o koutou e rite tahi ana nga whakaaro i te whenua mo tetahi mea e inoi ai raua, e meinga ano mo raua e toku Matua i te rangi.
20 Na, ko te wahi e whakaminea ai te hunga tokorua, tokotoru ranei, he whakaaro ki toku ingoa, kei reira ahau kei waenganui i a ratou.
21 Katahi ka haere a Pita ki a ia, ka mea, E te Ariki, kia hia nga haranga o toku teina ki ahau, me taku whakarere noa iho i tona hara? kia whitu?
22 Ka mea a Ihu ki a ia, E kore ahau e mea ki a koe, Kia whitu: engari, Kia whitu tekau whitu.
23 Koia ka rite ai te rangatiratanga o te rangi ki tetahi kingi, i mea kia korerotia ki a ia ana moni e ana pononga.
24 A, ka timata ia te ui, ka kawea ki a ia he tangata, tekau mano nga taranata i a ia.
25 A te whai rawa ia hei utu, ka mea tona ariki kia hokona ia, tana wahine me ana tamariki, me ana taonga katoa, hei whakautu.
26 Na ka tapapa iho taua pononga, ka koropiko ki a ia, ka mea, E te Ariki, kia ata hanga ki ahau, a ka utua katoatia e ahau ki a koe.
27 Na ka oho i te aroha te ariki o taua pononga, tuku ana i a ia, a whakarerea noatia iho e ia ana moni tarewa.
28 Heoi te putanga o taua pononga ki waho, ka kite i tetahi o ona hoa pononga, kotahi rau ana pene i a ia: na hopukia ana e ia, notia iho te kaki, me te ki ano, Utua taku nama.
29 Heoi tapapa ana tona hoa pononga ki ona waewae, ka inoi ka a ia, ka mea, Kia ata hanga ki ahau, a ka utua katoatia e ahau ki a koe.
30 A kihai ia i pai: heoi haere ana, maka ana i a ia ki te whare herehere, kia utua katoatia ra ano te nama.
31 Heoi, no te kitenga o ona hoa pononga i taua meatanga, nui atu to ratou pouri, a haere ana, whakaaturia ana ki to ratou ariki nga mea katoa i meatia.
32 Katahi ka karanga tona ariki i a ia, ka mea ki a ia, Pononga kino, i whakarerea noatia e ahau taua moni tarewa katoa i a koe, nau hoki i inoi ki ahau:
33 Ehara oti i te tika kia tohungia e koe tou hoa pononga, me ahau hoki i tohu i a koe?
34 Na ka riri tona ariki, a tukua ana ia ki nga kaiwhakamamae, kia utua katoatia ra ano tana nama.
35 Tera ano e pera toku Matua i te rangi ki a koutou, ki te kore e whakarerea noatia i roto i o koutou ngakau nga he o te teina o tenei, o tenei, o koutou.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
