Matthew

Matthew 18

1Christ proposeth a little child to his disciples for a pattern of innocence and humility; 7he warneth them to avoid offences, though at the expense of an hand, a foot, or an eye: 10and not to despise the little ones: 15he teacheth how to treat an offending brother, 21and how oft to forgive him, by the parable of a king.

1AT ^athe same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

a Mar. 9.33-37. Lu. 9.46-48. ch. 17.24; 20.21-24. Mar. 10.42. Lu. 22.24-27.

2And Jesus called ^ba little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

b ch. 19.14. Ps. 34.11; 45.10. Pr. 8.17; 23.26.

3And said, ^*Verily I say unto you, ^cExcept ye be converted, and ^dbecome as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

c ch. 19.14. Ps. 51.10-13. Lu. 18.17; 22.32. 1Co. 14.20. 1Pe. 2.1,2. Jn. 3.3,5. 2Co. 5.17. Ga. 6.15. Eze. 11.19; 36.26. d Mar. 10.14. Lu. 18.16.

4^eWhosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

e Ps. 131.2; 138.6. ch. 20.26; 23.11. Is. 57.15; 66.2. Lu. 9.48; 14.11. Ja. 4.10.

5And ^fwhoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

f ch. 10.40,42; 25.40,45.

6^gBut whoso shall ^h*offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

g Mar. 9.42. Lu. 17.1,2. ch. 25.41-46. 2Th. 1.6-9. Zec. 2.8. Eze. 25; 35. h ch. 5.29.

7¶ⁱWoe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

i Lu. 17.1. 1Co. 11.19. Jude 4,11. 2Th. 2.11,12. v.8,9. ch. 5.29,30; 26.24.

8^jWherefore if thy hand or thy foot ^*offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life ^*halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

j ch. 5.29,30. Mar. 9.43-48. De. 13.6.

9And if ^kthine eye ^*offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to ^lenter into life with one eye, rather than having two ^meyes to be cast into hell fire.

k ch. 5.29. l He. 4.11. m Lu. 9.25.

10ⁿTake heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven ^otheir angels do always behold the ^pface of my Father which is in heaven.

n v.2,6,14. Ps. 15.4; 16.3; 119.63. Lu. 10.16. Pr. 11.12; 14.21. 1Th. 4.8. ch. 10.42. o Ac. 12.15. Ge. 32.1,2. 2Ki. 6.16,17. Ps. 34.7; 91.11. He. 1.14. p Ps. 16.11; 17.15. Ex. 33.18,20. 1Co. 13.12. Lu. 1.19.

11^qFor the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

q Lu. 19.10; 9.56. ch. 1.21; 9.13; 10.6; 15.24. Jn. 3.16,17; 10.10; 12.47. 1Ti. 1.15.

12^rHow think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

r Lu. 15.4-7. Je. 50.6. Eze. 34.6,8,16,23. Is. 53.6,10-12. Jn. 10.11. 1Pe. 2.25. Ps. 119.176. Is. 63.1; 45.22,24. 1Ti. 1.13,15,16.

13And if so be that he find it, ^*verily I say unto you, he ^srejoiceth more of that sheep , than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

s Lu. 15.7; 19.9; 7.36-50; 18.33-43. Jn. 4; 8. 1Ti. 1.13-16.

14Even ^tso it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

t 2Pe. 3.9. Ep. 1.5. Ro. 9.19. Jn. 10.28.

15¶Moreover ^uif thy brother shall ^*trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast ^vgained thy brother.

u Le. 19.17. Lu. 17.3,4. Ja. 5.19,20. Pr. 25.8,9; 28.23; 9.8,9. Ps. 141.5. Ga. 6.1. v 1Co. 9.19-22.

16But if he will not hear thee , then take with thee one or two more, that in ^wthe mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

w Nu. 35.30. De. 17.6; 19.15. 1Ki. 21.10. Jn. 8.17. 2Co. 13.1. He. 10.28.

17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it ^xunto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, ^ylet him be unto thee as an heathen man and a ^*publican.

x Nu. 16.33. Ac. 8.1. 1Ti. 5.20. ch. 16.18. 1Co. 6.1-6. y Ro. 16.17. 1Co. 5.3-5,9,11,13. 2Co. 2.6. 2Th. 3.6,14. 1Ti. 1.20. Tit. 3.10. 2Jn. 10. ch. 5.46,47; 9.10,11.

18^*Verily I say unto you, ^zWhatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

z Jn. 20.23. Ac. 15.23-31. 2Co. 2.10. 1Co. 5.4. ch. 16.19.

19Again I say unto you, ^aThat if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

a 1Jn. 3.24; 5.14. Jn. 16.23,24; 14.13; 15.7,16. ch. 7.7,11; 21.22. Mar. 11.24. Lu. 11.9. Ja. 1.5; 5.16.

20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, ^bthere am I in the midst of them.

b ch. 28.20. Re. 1.13; 2.1. Jn. 20.19. 1Co. 5.4,5. Ex. 20.24. Eze. 48.35. Zec. 2.5. Re. 21.3.

21¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I ^cforgive him? till seven times?

c Mar. 11.25. Lu. 17.4. Col. 3.13. v.15.

22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, ^dUntil seventy times seven.

d ch. 6.14. Mar. 11.25. Col. 3.13. Ro. 12.19,20. Ep. 4.32.

23¶Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a ^ecertain king, which would take account of his servants.

e Ro. 14.12. Ps. 2.6. Is. 9.6,7. Jn. 1.49; 18.36. ch. 25.34.

24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ^ften thousand talents.

f Ge. 13.13. 1Ti. 1.13,15,16.

25But ^*forasmuch as he had not to pay, ^ghis lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

g Le. 25.39. Ne. 5.2,5,8. 2Ki. 4.1. Is. 50.1.

26The servant therefore fell down, and ¹worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27Then the lord of that servant ^hwas moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

h Ps. 78.38; 103.13; 145.7,8; 130.4,7. Ep. 2.4-8. Tit. 3.5. Ho. 11.8. Ju. 10.16.

28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, ⁱHave patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

i v.26.

30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very ^jsorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

j Ro. 12.15. 2Co. 11.29. He. 13.3.

32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, ^kO thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

k Lu. 19.22.

33^lShouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

l Ep. 4.32; 5.2. Col. 3.13. ch. 5.44,45. Lu. 6.36.

34And his lord was ^*wroth, and delivered him to the ^m*tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

m 2Co. 12.7. 1Pe. 5.8. ch. 5.25. 2Th. 1.8,9. Re. 14.10,11.

35ⁿSo likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their ^*trespasses.

n Pr. 21.13. ch. 6.12,14,15. Mar. 11.26. Ep. 4.32. Col. 3.13. 1Co. 4.12. ch. 7.2. Ja. 2.13.