¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(A) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(B) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(C)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(D)

¹⁷ Now forgive^(A) my sin once more and pray^(B) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

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?^(A) Up to seven times?”^(B)

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a](C)

³ So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister^[a] sins against you, rebuke them;^(A) and if they repent, forgive them.^{(B) 4} Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”^(C)

⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,^(A) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you^(B) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.^{(C) 10} Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,