Beginning
18 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, and said [saying], Who, guessest thou, is [the] greater in the kingdom of heavens?
2 And Jesus called a little child, and put him in the middle of them; [And Jesus, calling a little child, set him in the midst of them;]
3 and said, I say truth to you [and said, Truly I say to you], but ye be turned, and [be] made as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heavens.
4 Therefore whoever meeketh him[self] as this little child, he is [the] greater in the kingdom of heavens.[a]
5 And he that receiveth one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
6 But whoso causeth to stumble one of these small[b], that believe in me, it speedeth to him that a millstone of asses be hanged in his neck, and [that] he be drowned in the deepness of the sea.
7 Woe to the world, for causes of stumbling; for it is need that causes of stumbling come; nevertheless woe to that man by whom a cause of stumbling cometh. [Woe to the world, for offences; truly it is need, that offences come; nevertheless, woe to that man by whom an offence cometh.]
8 And if thine hand or thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it away from thee. It is better to thee to enter to life feeble, either crooked, than having twain hands or two feet to be sent into everlasting fire.[c]
9 And if thine eye cause thee to stumble [And if thine eye offend thee], pull it out, and cast it away from thee. It is better to thee with one eye to enter into life, than having twain eyes to be sent into the fire of hell [than having two eyes to be sent into hell fire].
10 See ye, that ye despise not one of these little. For I say to you, that the angels of them in heavens see evermore the face of my Father that is in heavens [Truly I say to you, for the angels of them in heavens see ever the face of my Father which is in heavens].
11 For man's Son came to save that thing that perished.
12 What seemeth to you? If there were to a man an hundred sheep, and one of them hath erred, whether he shall not leave ninety and nine in desert [whether he shall not leave ninety and nine in the hills], and shall go to seek that that erred?
13 And if it fall that he find it, truly I say to you, that he shall have joy thereof more than on ninety and nine that erred not. [And if it befall that he find it, truly I say to you, for he shall joy thereon more than of ninety and nine that erred not.]
14 So it is not the will of your Father that is in heavens[d], that one of these little perish.
15 But if thy brother sinneth against thee, go thou, and reprove him, betwixt thee and him alone; if he heareth thee, thou hast won thy brother.[e]
16 And if he heareth thee not, take with thee one or twain, that every word stand in the mouth of twain or three witnesses. [Truly if he shall not hear thee, take with thee one or two, that every word stand in the mouth of two or three witnesses.]
17 And if he heareth not them, say thou to the church. But if he heareth not the church, be he as an heathen and a publican to thee. [That if he shall not hear them, say thou to the church. Forsooth if he shall not hear the church, be he to thee as an heathen man and a publican.]
18 I say to you truly, whatever things ye [shall] bind on earth, those shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever things ye [shall] unbind on earth, those shall be unbound also in heaven. [I say to you truly, whatever things ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever things ye shall unbind on earth, shall be unbound also in heaven.]
19 Again I say to you, that if twain of you consent on earth, of every thing whatever they ask, it shall be done to them of my Father that is in heavens.[f]
20 For where twain or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them. [For where two or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.]
21 Then Peter came to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I shall forgive him? Whether till seven times?
22 Jesus saith to him, I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heavens is likened to a king, that would reckon with his servants.
24 And when he began to reckon, one that owed to him ten thousand talents, was brought to him[g].
25 And when he had not whereof to yield, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all things that he had, and to be paid.
26 But that servant felled down, and prayed him, and said [saying], Have patience in me, and I shall yield to thee all things.
27 And the lord had mercy on that servant, and suffered him to go, and forgave him the debt.[h]
28 But that servant went out, and found one of his even-servants, that owed him an hundred pence; and he held him, and strangled him, and said [saying], Yield that that thou owest.
29 And his even-servant fell down, and prayed him, and said [saying], Have patience in me, and I shall requite all things to thee.
30 But he would not; but went out, and put him into prison [but went and sent him into prison], till he [had] paid all the debt.
31 And his even-servants, seeing the things that were done, [were] sorrowed greatly. And they came, and told to their lord all the things that were done.
32 Then his lord called him, and said to him, Wicked servant, I forgave to thee all the debt, for thou prayedest me.
33 Therefore whether it behooved not also thee to have mercy on thine even-servant [on thy even-servant], as [also] I had mercy on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and took him to tormentors [And his lord wroth, betook him to tormentors], till he [had] paid all the debt.
35 So [and] my Father of heaven shall do to you, if ye forgive not every man to his brother, of your hearts.
19 And it was done, when Jesus had ended these words, he passed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea over Jordan.
2 And much people followed him [And many companies followed him], and he healed them there.
3 And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and said, Whether it be leaveful to a man to leave his wife, for any cause?[i]
4 Which answered, and said to them, Have ye not read, for he that made men at the beginning, made them male and female?
5 And he said, For this thing a man shall leave father and mother, and he shall draw to his wife [and he shall cleave, or draw, to his wife]; and they shall be twain in one flesh.
6 And so they be not now twain, but one flesh. Therefore man separate not that thing that God hath joined [together]. [Therefore they be not two, but one flesh. Therefore a man part not that thing that God enjoined, or knit together.]
7 They say to him, What then commanded Moses, to give a libel of forsaking, and to leave of. [They say to him, What then commanded Moses, to give a little book of forsaking, and to forsake.]
8 And he said to them, For Moses, for the hardness of your heart, suffered you to leave your wives [And he saith to them, For Moses, at the hardness of your heart, suffered you to forsake your wives]; but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you, that whoever leaveth his wife, but for fornication, and weddeth another, doeth lechery [doeth adultery]; and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth lechery [doeth adultery].
10 His disciples say to him, If the cause of a man with his wife is so, it speedeth not to be wedded [it speedeth not to wed].
11 And he said to them, Not all men take this word; but they to which it is given [but to whom it is given].
12 For there be geldings, which be so born of the mother's womb [which be thus born of their mother's womb]; and there be geldings, that be made of men; and there be geldings, that have gelded themselves, for the kingdom of heavens. He that may take, take he.
13 Then little children were brought to him, that he should put [his] hands to them, and pray. And the disciples blamed them.
14 But Jesus said to them, Suffer ye that little children come to me, and do not ye forbid them [But Jesus said to them, Suffer ye little children come to me, and do not ye forbid them to come to me]; for of such is the kingdom of heavens.
15 And when he had put to them hands, he went from thence. [And when he had put to them hands, he went thence.]
16 And lo! one came, and said to him, Good master, what good [thing] shall I do, that I have everlasting life?
17 Which saith to him, What askest thou me of good thing? There is one good God [Which said to him, What askest thou me of good thing? One is good God]. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith to him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not do manslaying, thou shalt not do adultery, thou shalt not do theft, thou shalt not say false witnessing;
19 worship thy father and thy mother [honour thou thy father and thy mother], and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith to him, I have kept all these things from my youth, what yet faileth to me?
21 Jesus saith to him, If thou wilt be perfect, go, and sell all things that thou hast, and give to poor men, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow me.
22 And when the young man had heard these words, he went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, I say to you truth, for a rich man of hard shall enter into the kingdom of heavens. [Forsooth Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, for of hard a rich man shall enter into the realm of heavens.]
24 And again I say to you, it is lighter a camel to pass through a needle's eye[j], than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heavens.
25 When these things were heard, the disciples wondered greatly, and said [Truly these words heard, the disciples wondered greatly, saying], Who then may be safe?
26 Jesus beheld, and said to them, With men this thing is impossible; but with God all things be possible.
27 Then Peter answered, and said to him, Lo! we have forsaken all things, and we have followed thee; what then shall be to us [what therefore shall be to us]?
28 And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that ye that have forsaken all things, and have followed me, in the regeneration when man's Son shall sit in the seat of his majesty, [also] ye shall sit on twelve seats [and ye shall sit on twelve seats, or sieges], deeming the twelve kindreds of Israel.
29 And every man that forsaketh house, [or] brethren or sisters [or brethren, or sistren], [or] father or mother, [or] wife or children, or fields, for my name, he shall take an hundredfold, and shall wield everlasting life.
30 But many shall be, the first the last, and the last the first.
2001 by Terence P. Noble