Matthew 18 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Who Is Greatest in Heaven?

1 At that [fn]time ^G5610 the disciples ^G3101 came ^G4334 to Jesus ^G2424 and said ^G3004, “Who ^G5101 then ^G686 is greatest ^G3173 in ^G686 the kingdom ^G932 of heaven ^G3772?”

2 And He called ^G4341 a child ^G3813 to Himself and set ^G2476 him [fn]before ^G1722 G3319 them, 3 and said ^G3004, “Truly ^G281 I say ^G3004 to you, unless ^G1437 G3361 you [fn]are converted ^G4762 and become ^G1096 like ^G5613 children ^G3813, you will never ^G3362 enter ^G1525 the kingdom ^G932 of heaven ^G3772. 4 Whoever ^G3748 therefore ^G3767 will humble ^G5013 himself ^G1438 as this ^G3778 child ^G3813, he is the greatest ^G3173 in the kingdom ^G932 of heaven ^G3772. 5 And whoever ^G3739 G1437 receives ^G1209 one ^G1520 such ^G5108 child ^G3813 in My name ^G3686 receives ^G1209 Me; 6 but whoever ^G3739 G302 causes ^G4624 one ^G1520 of these ^G3778 little ^G3398 ones ^G3398 who believe ^G4100 in Me to ^G4624 stumble ^G4624, it is ^G4851 better ^G4851 for him that a [fn]heavy ^G3684 millstone ^G3458 be hung ^G2910 around ^G4012 his neck ^G5137, and ^G2532 that he be drowned ^G2670 in the depth ^G3989 of the sea ^G2281.

Stumbling Blocks

7 “Woe ^G3759 to the world ^G2889 because ^G575 of its stumbling ^G4625 blocks ^G4625! For it is inevitable ^G318 that stumbling ^G4625 blocks ^G4625 come ^G2064; nevertheless, woe ^G3759 to that man ^G444 through ^G1223 whom ^G3739 the stumbling ^G4625 block ^G4625 comes ^G2064!

8 “And if ^G1487 your hand ^G5495 or ^G2228 your foot ^G4228 causes ^G4624 you to ^G4624 stumble ^G4624, cut ^G1581 it off ^G1581 and throw ^G906 it from you; it is better ^G2570 for you to enter ^G1525 life ^G2222 crippled ^G2948 or ^G2228 lame ^G5560, than ^G2228, having ^G2192 two ^G1417 hands ^G5495 or ^G2228 two ^G1417 feet ^G4228, to be cast ^G906 into the eternal ^G166 fire ^G4442.

9 And if ^G1487 your eye ^G3788 causes ^G4624 you to ^G4624 stumble ^G4624, tear ^G1807 it out ^G1807 and throw ^G906 it from you. It is better ^G2570 for you to enter ^G1525 life ^G2222 with one ^G3442 eye ^G3442, than ^G2228, having ^G2192 two ^G1417 eyes ^G3788, to be cast ^G906 into the [fn]fiery ^G4442 hell ^G1067.

10 “See ^G3708 that you do not despise ^G2706 one ^G1520 of these ^G3778 little ^G3398 ones ^G3398, for I say ^G3004 to you that their angels ^G32 in heaven ^G3772 continually ^G1223 G3956 see ^G3708 the face ^G4383 of My Father ^G3962 who is in heaven ^G3772. 11 [fn][For the Son ^G5207 of Man ^G444 has come ^G2064 to save ^G4982 that which was lost ^G622.]

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

12 “What ^G5101 do you think ^G1380? If ^G1437 any ^G5100 man ^G444 has ^G1096 one hundred ^G1540 sheep ^G4263, and one ^G1520 of them has gone ^G4105 astray ^G4105, does he not leave ^G863 the ninety-nine ^G1768 G1767 on the mountains ^G3735 and go ^G4198 and search ^G2212 for ^G2212 the one that is straying ^G4105?

13 And if ^G1437 it turns ^G1096 out ^G1096 that he finds ^G2147 it, truly ^G281 I say ^G3004 to you, he rejoices ^G5463 over ^G1909 it more ^G3123 than ^G2228 over ^G1909 the ninety-nine ^G1768 G1767 which have not gone ^G4105 astray ^G4105. 14 In ^G3379 this ^G3379 way ^G3379, it is not the will ^G2307 [fn]of your Father ^G3962 who is in heaven ^G3772 that one ^G1520 of these ^G3778 little ^G3398 ones ^G3398 perish ^G622.

If Your Brother Sins

15 “Now if ^G1437 your brother ^G80 sins ^G264[fn], go ^G5217 and [fn]show ^G1651 him his fault ^G1651, between ^G3342 you ^G4471 and ^G2532 him ^G846 alone ^G3441; if ^G1437 he listens ^G191 to you, you have won ^G2770 your brother ^G80.

16 But if ^G1437 he does not listen ^G191 to you, take ^G3880 one ^G1520 or ^G2228 two ^G1417 more ^G2089 with you, so ^G2443 that BY THE MOUTH ^G4750 OF TWO ^G1417 OR ^G2228 THREE ^G5140 WITNESSES ^G3144 EVERY ^G3956 [fn]FACT ^G4487 MAY BE CONFIRMED ^G2476. 17 And if ^G1437 he refuses ^G3878 to ^G3878 listen ^G3878 to them, tell ^G3004 it to the church ^G1577; and if ^G1437 he refuses ^G3878 to ^G3878 listen ^G3878 even ^G2532 to the church ^G1577, let him be to you as the Gentile ^G1482 and the tax ^G5057 collector ^G5057. 18 Truly ^G281 I say ^G3004 to you, whatever ^G3745 G1437 you [fn]bind ^G1210 on earth ^G1093 [fn]shall have been bound ^G1210 in heaven ^G3772; and whatever ^G3745 G1437 you [fn]loose ^G3089 on earth ^G1093 [fn]shall have been loosed ^G3089 in heaven ^G3772.

19 “Again ^G3825 I say ^G3004 to you, that if ^G1437 two ^G1417 of you agree ^G4856 on earth ^G1093 about ^G4012 anything ^G3956 G4229 that they may ask ^G154, it shall be done ^G1096 for them [fn]by My Father ^G3962 who is in heaven ^G3772. 20 For where ^G3757 two ^G1417 or ^G2228 three ^G5140 have gathered ^G4863 together ^G4863 in My name ^G3686, I am ^G1510 there ^G1563 in their midst ^G3319.”

Forgiveness

21 Then ^G5119 Peter ^G4074 came ^G4334 and said ^G3004 to Him, “Lord ^G2962, how ^G4212 often ^G4212 shall my brother ^G80 sin ^G264 against ^G1519 me and I forgive ^G863 him? Up to seven ^G2034 times ^G2034?”

22 Jesus ^G2424 *said ^G3004 to him, “I do not say ^G3004 to you, up to seven ^G2034 times ^G2034, but up to seventy ^G1441 times ^G1441 seven ^G2033.

23 “For this ^G3778 reason ^G1223 the kingdom ^G932 of heaven ^G3772 [fn]may be compared ^G3666 to a king ^G935 who ^G3739 wished ^G2309 to settle ^G4868 accounts ^G3056 with his slaves ^G1401. 24 When he had begun ^G757 to settle ^G4868 them, one ^G1520 who owed ^G3781 him ten ^G3463 thousand ^G3463 [fn]talents ^G5007 was brought ^G4317 to him. 25 But since he [fn]did not have ^G2192 the means to repay ^G591, his lord ^G2962 commanded ^G2753 him to be sold ^G4097, along ^G2532 with his wife ^G1135 and children ^G5043 and all ^G3956 that he had ^G2192, and repayment ^G591 to be made ^G591. 26 Therefore ^G3767, the slave ^G1401 fell ^G4098 to the ground and was prostrating ^G4352 himself ^G4352 before ^G4352 him, saying ^G3004, ‘Have ^G3114 patience ^G3114 with me and I will repay ^G591 you everything ^G3956.’ 27 And feeling ^G4697 compassion ^G4697, the lord ^G2962 of that slave ^G1401 released ^G630 him and forgave ^G863 him the [fn]debt ^G1156. 28 But that slave ^G1401 went ^G1831 out ^G1831 and found ^G2147 one ^G1520 of his fellow ^G4889 slaves ^G4889 who ^G3739 owed ^G3784 him one hundred ^G1540 [fn]denarii ^G1220; and he seized ^G2902 him and began to choke ^G4155 him, saying ^G3004, ‘Pay ^G591 back ^G591 what ^G5101 you owe ^G3784.’ 29 So ^G3767, his fellow ^G4889 slave ^G4889 fell ^G4098 to the ground and was pleading ^G3870 with him, saying ^G3004, ‘Have ^G3114 patience ^G3114 with me and I will repay ^G591 you.’ 30 But he was unwilling ^G3756 G2309 [fn]and went ^G565 and threw ^G906 him in prison ^G5438 until ^G2193 he should pay ^G591 back ^G591 what ^G3588 was owed ^G3784. 31 So ^G3767, when his fellow ^G4889 slaves ^G4889 saw ^G3708 what ^G3588 had happened ^G1096, they were deeply ^G4970 grieved ^G3076 and came ^G2064 and reported ^G1285 to their lord ^G2962 all ^G3956 that had happened ^G1096. 32 Then ^G5119 summoning ^G4341 him, his lord ^G2962 *said ^G3004 to him, ‘You wicked ^G4190 slave ^G1401, I forgave ^G863 you all ^G3956 that debt ^G3782 because ^G1893 you pleaded ^G3870 with me. 33 Should ^G1163 you not also ^G2532 have had ^G1653 mercy ^G1653 on your fellow ^G4889 slave ^G4889, in the same ^G5613 way ^G5613 that I had ^G1653 mercy ^G1653 on you?’ 34 And his lord ^G2962, moved ^G3710 with anger ^G3710, handed ^G3860 him over ^G3860 to the torturers ^G930 until ^G2193 he should repay ^G591 all ^G3956 that was owed ^G3784 him. 35 My heavenly ^G3770 Father ^G3962 will also ^G2532 do ^G4160 the same ^G3779 to you, if ^G1437 each ^G1538 of you does not forgive ^G863 his brother ^G80 from your hearts ^G2588.”