Chapter 18
The Greatest in the Kingdom
1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus [and] asked, “Who then is [the] greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ οἱ μαθηταὶ προσῆλθον τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν En ekeinē tē hōra hoi mathētai prosēlthon tō Iēsou legontes Tis ara estin meizōn en tē basileia tōn ouranōn — NA/TR · 1
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- [Jesus] invited a little child to stand… vvv vvv among them.
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν αὐτῶν μέσῳ Kai proskalesamenos paidion estēsen auto en autōn mesō — NA/TR · 2
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“Truly I tell you, He said, “unless… you change and become like little children, vvv vvv you will never enter… the kingdom of heaven.
Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν Amēn legō hymin kai eipen ean mē straphēte kai genēsthe hōs ta paidia ou mē eiselthēte eis tēn basileian tōn ouranōn — NA/TR · 3
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Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
οὖν ὅστις ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν oun hostis tapeinōsei heauton hōs touto to paidion houtos estin ho meizōn en tē basileia tōn ouranōn — NA/TR · 4
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And whoever vvv welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
καὶ ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται ἓν παιδίον τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ μου τῷ ὀνόματί δέχεται ἐμὲ kai hos ean dexētai hen paidion toiouto epi mou tō onomati dechetai eme — NA/TR · 5
Temptations and Trespasses
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But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me {to stumble}, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
δ’ ἂν Ὃς σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τούτων τῶν μικρῶν τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα ὀνικὸς μύλος κρεμασθῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν τράχηλον καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης d’ an Hos skandalisē hena toutōn tōn mikrōn tōn pisteuontōn eis eme sympherei autō hina onikos mylos kremasthē peri autou ton trachēlon kai katapontisthē en tō pelagei tēs thalassēs — NA/TR · 6
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Woe to the world for the causes of sin. [These] stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom [they] come!
Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων γὰρ τὰ σκάνδαλα ἀνάγκη ἐλθεῖν πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ δι’ οὗ τὸ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται Ouai tō kosmō apo tōn skandalōn gar ta skandala anankē elthein plēn ouai tō anthrōpō di’ hou to skandalon erchetai — NA/TR · 7
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- If your hand or your foot causes you to sin…, cut it off… and throw it away… It is better for you to enter… life crippled or lame than to have two hands [and] two feet [and] be thrown into the eternal fire.
δὲ Εἰ σου ἡ χείρ ἢ σου ὁ πούς σκανδαλίζει σε ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐστιν καλόν σοί εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν κυλλὸν ἢ χωλόν ἢ ἔχοντα δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ de Ei sou hē cheir ē sou ho pous skandalizei se ekkopson auton kai bale apo sou estin kalon soi eiselthein eis tēn zōēn kyllon ē chōlon ē echonta dyo cheiras ē dyo podas blēthēnai eis to to aiōnion pyr — NA/TR · 8
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And if your eye causes you to sin…, 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 hell.
καὶ εἰ σου ὁ ὀφθαλμός σκανδαλίζει σε ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐστιν καλόν σοί εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν μονόφθαλμον ἢ ἔχοντα δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν πυρός τοῦ γέενναν kai ei sou ho ophthalmos skandalizei se exele auton kai bale apo sou estin kalon soi eiselthein eis tēn zōēn monophthalmon ē echonta dyo ophthalmous blēthēnai eis tēn pyros tou geennan — NA/TR · 9
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
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See [that] vvv you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always… see the face of My Father in heaven.
Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τούτων τῶν μικρῶν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι αὐτῶν οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ μου Πατρός τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Horate mē kataphronēsēte henos toutōn tōn mikrōn gar legō hymin hoti autōn hoi angeloi en ouranois dia pantos blepousi to prosōpon tou mou Patros tou en ouranois — NA/TR · 10
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What {do} you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, vvv will he not leave the ninety-nine… on the hills and go out to search for the [one] that is lost?
Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ ἐὰν τινι ἀνθρώπῳ γένηταί ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν πλανηθῇ οὐχὶ ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον Ti hymin dokei ean tini anthrōpō genētai hekaton probata kai hen ex autōn planēthē ouchi aphēsei ta enenēkonta ennea epi ta orē kai poreutheis zētei to planōmenon — NA/TR · 12
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And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over [that one sheep] than over the ninety-nine… vvv that did not go astray.
καὶ ἐὰν γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαίρει μᾶλλον ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλανημένοις kai ean genētai heurein auto amēn legō hymin hoti chairei mallon ep’ autō ē epi tois enenēkonta ennea tois mē peplanēmenois — NA/TR · 13
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In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
οὕτως ἔμπροσθεν ὑμῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἔστιν οὐκ θέλημα ἵνα ἓν τούτων τῶν μικρῶν ἀπόληται houtōs emprosthen hymōn tou Patros tou en ouranois estin ouk thelēma hina hen toutōn tōn mikrōn apolētai — NA/TR · 14
A Brother Who Sins
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- If your brother sins against you, go [and] confront him privately… If he listens to you, you have won your brother {over}.
δὲ Ἐὰν σου ὁ ἀδελφός ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ ὕπαγε ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μόνου μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐάν ἀκούσῃ σου ἐκέρδησας σου τὸν ἀδελφόν de Ean sou ho adelphos hamartēsē eis se hypage elenxon auton monou metaxy sou kai autou ean akousē sou ekerdēsas sou ton adelphon — NA/TR · 15
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But if he will not listen, take one or two others along…, so that ‘every matter may be established by [the] testimony of two or three witnesses.’
δὲ ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ παράλαβε ἕνα ἢ δύο ἔτι μετὰ σοῦ ἵνα πᾶν ῥῆμα σταθῇ Ἐπὶ στόματος δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων de ean mē akousē paralabe hena ē dyo eti meta sou hina pan rhēma stathē Epi stomatos dyo ē triōn martyrōn — NA/TR · 16
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- If he refuses to listen to them, tell [it] to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard [him] as you [would] a pagan [or] a tax collector.
δὲ ἐὰν παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν εἰπὸν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ δὲ ἐὰν παρακούσῃ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἔστω ὥσπερ σοι ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης de ean parakousē autōn eipon tē ekklēsia de ean parakousē kai tēs ekklēsias estō hōsper soi ho ethnikos kai ho telōnēs — NA/TR · 17
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Truly I tell you, whatever… you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever… you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ Amēn legō hymin hosa ean dēsēte epi tēs gēs estai dedemena en ouranō kai hosa ean lysēte epi tēs gēs estai lelymena en ouranō — NA/TR · 18
Ask in My Name
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Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything… vvv [you] ask for, it will be done for [you] by My Father in heaven.
Πάλιν λέγω ὑμῖν ἀμὴν ὅτι ἐὰν δύο ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς συμφωνήσωσιν περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται γενήσεται αὐτοῖς παρὰ μου τοῦ Πατρός τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Palin legō hymin amēn hoti ean dyo ex hymōn epi tēs gēs symphōnēsōsin peri pantos pragmatos hou ean aitēsōntai genēsetai autois para mou tou Patros tou en ouranois — NA/TR · 19
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For where two or three vvv gather together in My name, there am I with them…
γάρ οὗ δύο ἢ τρεῖς εἰσιν συνηγμένοι εἰς ἐμὸν τὸ ὄνομα ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν αὐτῶν μέσῳ gar hou dyo ē treis eisin synēgmenoi eis emon to onoma ekei eimi en autōn mesō — NA/TR · 20
The Unforgiving Servant
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Then Peter came to [Jesus] [and] asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?
Τότε Πέτρος προσελθὼν αὐτῷ ὁ εἶπεν Κύριε ποσάκις καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός ἁμαρτήσει εἰς μου ἕως ἑπτάκις Tote Petros proselthōn autō ho eipen Kyrie posakis kai aphēsō autō eme ho adelphos hamartēsei eis mou heōs heptakis — NA/TR · 21
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- Jesus answered…, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times…!
ὁ Ἰησοῦς Λέγει αὐτῷ λέγω σοι Οὐ ἕως ἑπτάκις ἀλλὰ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά ho Iēsous Legei autō legō soi Ou heōs heptakis alla heōs hebdomēkontakis hepta — NA/TR · 22
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Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
Διὰ τοῦτο ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὡμοιώθη ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ ὃς ἠθέλησεν συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ αὐτοῦ τῶν δούλων Dia touto hē basileia tōn ouranōn hōmoiōthē anthrōpō basilei hos ēthelēsen synarai logon meta autou tōn doulōn — NA/TR · 23
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As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him.
δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀρξαμένου συναίρειν εἷς ὀφειλέτης μυρίων ταλάντων προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ de autou arxamenou synairein heis opheiletēs myriōn talantōn prosēnechthē autō — NA/TR · 24
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Since [the man] vvv was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay [his] debt, along with [his] wife and children and everything he owned.
δὲ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος ἀποδοῦναι ὁ κύριος ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν πραθῆναι καὶ ἀποδοθῆναι καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει de autou mē echontos apodounai ho kyrios ekeleusen auton prathēnai kai apodothēnai kai tēn gynaika kai ta tekna kai panta hosa echei — NA/TR · 25
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Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me, he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.
οὖν ὁ δοῦλος Πεσὼν προσεκύνει αὐτῷ Μακροθύμησον ἐπ’ ἐμοί λέγων καὶ ἀποδώσω σοι πάντα oun ho doulos Pesōn prosekynei autō Makrothymēson ep’ emoi legōn kai apodōsō soi panta — NA/TR · 26
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- [His] master - had compassion [on him], forgave his debt, [and] released him.
δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐκείνου τοῦ δούλου Σπλαγχνισθεὶς καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ τὸ δάνειον ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν de ho kyrios ekeinou tou doulou Splanchnistheis kai aphēken autō to daneion apelysen auton — NA/TR · 27
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But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke [him], saying, ‘Pay back what you owe [me]!’
δὲ ὁ ἐκεῖνος δοῦλος Ἐξελθὼν εὗρεν ἕνα αὐτοῦ τῶν συνδούλων ὃς ὤφειλεν αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὸν ἔπνιγεν λέγων Ἀπόδος εἴ τι ὀφείλεις de ho ekeinos doulos Exelthōn heuren hena autou tōn syndoulōn hos ōpheilen autō hekaton dēnaria kai kratēsas auton epnigen legōn Apodos ei ti opheileis — NA/TR · 28
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So his fellow servant fell down [and] begged him -, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you {back}.
οὖν αὐτοῦ ὁ σύνδουλος Πεσὼν παρεκάλει αὐτὸν λέγων Μακροθύμησον ἐπ’ ἐμοί καὶ ἀποδώσω σοι oun autou ho syndoulos Pesōn parekalei auton legōn Makrothymēson ep’ emoi kai apodōsō soi — NA/TR · 29
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But vvv he refused. Instead, he went [and] had [the man] thrown… into prison until… he could pay [his] debt.
δὲ Ὁ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον de Ho ouk ēthelen alla apelthōn ebalen auton eis phylakēn heōs hou apodō to opheilomenon — NA/TR · 30
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[When] his fellow servants saw what had happened, vvv they were greatly distressed, and they went [and] recounted all [of this] to their master.
οὖν αὐτοῦ οἱ σύνδουλοι Ἰδόντες τὰ γενόμενα σφόδρα ἐλυπήθησαν καὶ ἐλθόντες διεσάφησαν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα τῷ ἑαυτῶν κυρίῳ oun autou hoi syndouloi Idontes ta genomena sphodra elypēthēsan kai elthontes diesaphēsan panta ta genomena tō heautōn kyriō — NA/TR · 31
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Then the master summoned him [and] said -, ‘[You] wicked servant! I forgave all [your] debt because you begged me.
Τότε αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν λέγει αὐτῷ πονηρέ Δοῦλε ἀφῆκά σοι πᾶσαν ἐκείνην τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἐπεὶ παρεκάλεσάς με Tote autou ho kyrios proskalesamenos auton legei autō ponēre Doule aphēka soi pasan ekeinēn tēn opheilēn epei parekalesas me — NA/TR · 32
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Shouldn’t… you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I [had] on you?
ἔδει οὐκ σὲ καὶ ἐλεῆσαι σου τὸν σύνδουλόν ὡς κἀγὼ ἠλέησα σὲ edei ouk se kai eleēsai sou ton syndoulon hōs kagō ēleēsa se — NA/TR · 33
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- In anger his master turned him over… to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed -.
καὶ ὀργισθεὶς αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῷ kai orgistheis autou ho kyrios paredōken auton tois basanistais heōs hou apodō pan to opheilomenon autō — NA/TR · 34
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That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless… you forgive [your] brother from your heart.
Οὕτως καὶ μου ὁ οὐράνιος ὁ Πατήρ ποιήσει ἕκαστος ὑμῖν ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῆτε αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἀπὸ ὑμῶν τῶν καρδιῶν Houtōs kai mou ho ouranios ho Patēr poiēsei hekastos hymin ean mē aphēte autou tō adelphō apo hymōn tōn kardiōn — NA/TR · 35