Verses 1 - 6

1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to himself, and set Him in the middle of them

3 and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 Whoever receives one such little child in My name receives Me,

6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea.

Causing Temptation to Come

Verses 7 - 11

7 “Woe to the world because of its enticements to tempt sin and cause stumbling! For it must be that the temptations come, but woe to that person through whom temptation comes!

8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna [or, Hell] of fire.

10 See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 For the Son of Man is [present tense] came to save that which was lost.

Lost Sheep

Verses 12 - 14

12 “What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?



13 If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Unforgiving Servant

Verses 21 - 35

21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24 When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents [Ten thousand talents (about 300 metric tonnes of silver) represents an extremely large sum of money, equivalent to about 60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was typical of one day’s wages for agricultural labour.].

25 But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii [100 denarii was about one sixtieth of a talent, or about 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of silver.], and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.

31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”