The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

²¹ Then Peter came up to him and^[a] said,^[b] “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!^[c]

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ And when^[d] he began to settle them,^[e] someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. ²⁵ And because^[f] he did not have enough^[g] to repay it,^[h] the master ordered him to be sold, and his^[i] wife and his^[j] children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. ²⁶ Then the slave threw himself to the ground and^[k] began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!’ ²⁷ So the master of that slave, because he^[l] had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. ²⁸ But that slave went out and^[m] found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him,^[n] saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!’ ²⁹ Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and^[o] began to implore^[p] him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ ³⁰ But he did not want to, but rather he went and^[q] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. ³¹ So when^[r] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and^[s] reported to their master everything that had happened. ³² Then his master summoned him and^[t] said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! ³³ Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?’ ³⁴ And because he^[u] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers^[v] until he would repay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!”