Matthew 18 (NMV)
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child to Himself and had him stand among them.
3 He said, "Truly I tell you, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles themselves like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 Woe to the world because of things that cause people to stumble! These things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come.
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of judgment.
10 See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
11 [*This verse does not appear in the earliest manuscripts. If included, it reads: "For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost."*]
12 What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, won't they leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if they find it, truly I tell you, they rejoice more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that any of these little ones should perish.
15 If your brother or sister sins against you, go and show them their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them back.
16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others with you, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the community. And if they refuse to listen even to the community, treat them as you would a Gentile [non-Jew] or a tax collector.
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.
19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them."
21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
23 For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 As he began to settle them, a man who owed him ten thousand talents [the equivalent of 200,000 years' wages] was brought before him.
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he, his wife, his children, and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay everything back!'
27 Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave the debt.
28 But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii [about three months' wages] and he grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe!'
29 So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.'
30 But he refused. Instead, he went and had him thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were deeply distressed and went and reported everything to their master.
32 Then the master summoned him and said, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?'
34 And in anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could repay everything that was owed.
35 This is how My heavenly Father will treat you unless each of you forgives your brother or sister from your heart."