1 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus {Iesous, Attentive Teacher}, saying, “Who then is greater {meizon: higher in rank} in the kingdom of the heavens?”
2 And having called a child to Himself, He {Iesous, Teacher And Example} placed the child in the midst {mesos: central place} of them.
3 And He {Iesous, Sovereign Teacher} said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children {paidia: humble dependents}, you shall certainly not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.”
4 Therefore, whoever will humble himself like this child {paidion: small dependent one} is the greatest in the kingdom {basileia: sovereign reign} of the heavens.
5 And anyone who receives one such child {paidion: humble little one} in My name receives Me {Iesous, Present Among Lowly}.
6 But whoever causes one of these little ones {mikros: vulnerable believers} who believe in Me {Iesous, Focus Of Faith} to stumble, it is better for him that a donkey’s millstone be fastened around his neck, and that he be sunk in the depths of the sea.
7 Woe to the world because of the stumbling-blocks {skandalon: obstacles to faith}! For it is necessary that the stumbling-blocks come, yet woe to the man {anthrōpos: individual human agent} through whom the stumbling-block comes.
8 If then your hand or your foot causes you to stumble {skandalizei: leads into sin}, sever it and cast it away from yourself; for it is better for you to go into life maimed or lame than, with two hands or two feet intact, to be cast into the eternal fire {pyr: consuming judgment}.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away from yourself. It is better for you to enter life {zoe: true existence} with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into Gehenna {geenna: fiery judgment} of fire.
10 See that you {hymin: addressed together} do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in the heavens always behold the face of My Father {pater, Attentive Heavenly Father} who is in the heavens.
11 For the Son of Man {huios tou anthropou, Messianic Representative} came to save {sosai: rescue from danger} that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep {probata: vulnerable flock} and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains {ore: open grazing slopes} and go to look for the one that is straying?
13 And if it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you that he rejoices {khairei: shows great delight} over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray {peplanēmenois: wandered from safety}.
14 In the same way, it is not the will before your Father {Pater, Caring Protector} in the heavens that even one of these little ones {mikron: humble, insignificant} should perish.
15 But if your brother sins against you, go and reprove {elegxon: show his fault} him privately, between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother {adelphos: fellow believer}.
16 But if he does not listen, take with you one or two additional persons {eti: one or two more}, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses {marturon: legal testifiers} every word may be established.
17 But if he will not listen to them, bring it before the assembly {ekklēsia: covenant assembly}; and if he will not listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as a Gentile {ethnikos: covenant outsider} and a tax collector.
18 Truly I {Iesous, Granting Covenant Authority} declare to you that whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven {ouranos: heavenly court}, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
19 Again, truly I say to you, if two of you maintain harmonious agreement {symphonesosin: harmonious unity} on earth regarding any matter you request, My Father {pater: Righteous Hearer of Prayer} in the heavens will accomplish it for you.
20 For where two or three have been gathered together in My name {onoma: covenant allegiance}, there I {Iesous, Present Among Disciples} am among them, in their midst.
21 Then Peter {Petros: prominent disciple} came to Him and said, “Lord {Kyrios, Wise Instructor}, how many times will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus {Iesous, Gracious Instructor} said to him, “I do not say to you, ‘up to seven times {heptakis: repeated measure},’ but up to seventy times seven.”
23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven {basileia ton ouranon: divine reign} is like a king who desired to settle accounts {synairai logon: debt reckoning} with his servants.
24 But as he began to settle accounts {synairein: financial reckoning}, one debtor {opheiletes: obligated one} who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 But since he did not have the means {echontos: financial resources} to repay, his lord ordered that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he owned, and that repayment {apodothenai: debt settlement} be made.
26 Therefore the servant {doulos: bonded attendant}, having fallen down, was prostrating {prosekunei: bowing in reverence} himself before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will repay everything to you.”
27 Then the master {kyrios: ruling superior} of that servant, having compassion {splangchnizomai: deep inward mercy}, set him free and forgave him the debt.
28 But when that servant {doulos: bound household worker} went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii {denaria: standard day wages}, and he laid hold of him and began to strangle him, saying, “Repay what you owe.”
29 Then his fellow servant {syndoulos: equal-status worker}, having fallen down, kept pleading with him, saying, “Grant me patience {makrothymeson: restrain anger}, and I will repay you.”
30 But he was not willing {ethelen: stubborn refusal}; instead, he went away and threw him into prison until he should pay what was owed {opheilomenon: outstanding obligation}.
31 Therefore, when his fellow servants saw what had occurred, they were greatly grieved {elupethesan: deeply distressed}, and after they had come, they told their lord {kyrios: household master} every detail of what had occurred.
32 Then, after summoning him, his lord {kyrios: rightful authority} said to him, “Wicked servant, I have released you from all that you owed because you entreated {parekalesas: urgent appeal} me.”
33 Was it not necessary for you also to have mercy {eleeo: extend compassion} on your fellow servant, just as I {kago: speaker’s own act} had mercy on you?
34 And his lord {kyrios: household master} became angry and handed him over to the tormentors {basanistais: brutal enforcers} until he should pay back everything owed.
35 Thus My heavenly Father {Pater ouranios, Righteous Judge} will act toward you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your hearts {kardia: inner being}.