Matthew · Berean Standard Bible
Matthew 18 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
1 Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες· τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν;
2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
2 καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ὁ Ἰησοῦς παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν·
3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
3 ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
4 ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.
5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
5 καὶ ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται παιδίον τοιοῦτον ἓν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται·
6 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.
6 ὃς δ᾽ ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ, συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης.
7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
7 Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων· ἀνάγκη γάρ ἐστιν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα· πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι᾽ οὗ τὸ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται.
8 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.
8 εἰ δὲ ἡ χείρ σου ἢ ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὰ καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλὸν ἢ κυλλόν, ἢ δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον.
9 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.
9 καὶ εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστι μονόφθαλμον εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, ἢ δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.
10 See that 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.
10 Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
11 Not in this translation
11 ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
12 Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἀφεὶς τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
13 καὶ ἐὰν γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαίρει ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλανημένοις.
14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
14 οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων.
15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
15 Ἐὰν δὲ ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ὕπαγε [καὶ] ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου· ἐάν σου ἀκούσῃ, ἐκέρδησας τὸν ἀδελφόν σου·
16 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.’
16 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο, ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα.
17 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.
17 ἐὰν δὲ παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν, εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ, ἔστω σοι ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης.
18 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.
18 Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.
19 Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
19 Πάλιν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν δύο ὑμῶν συμφωνήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γενήσεται αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
20 For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”
20 οὗ γάρ εἰσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
21 Τότε προσελθὼν αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπε· Κύριε, ποσάκις ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις;
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
22 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· οὐ λέγω σοι ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ᾽ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά.
23 Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
23 Διὰ τοῦτο ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὃς ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ.
24 As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.
24 ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ συναίρειν προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ εἷς ὀφειλέτης μυρίων ταλάντων.
25 Since the man 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.
25 μὴ ἔχοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πραθῆναι καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶχε, καὶ ἀποδοθῆναι.
26 Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
26 πεσὼν οὖν ὁ δοῦλος προσεκύνει αὐτῷ λέγων· κύριε, μακροθύμησον ἐπ᾽ ἐμοὶ καὶ πάντα σοι ἀποδώσω.
27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
27 σπλαγχνισθεὶς δὲ ὁ κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ δάνειον ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ.
28 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!’
28 ἐξελθὼν δὲ ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος εὗρεν ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὐτοῦ, ὃς ὤφειλεν αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὸν ἔπνιγε λέγων· ἀπόδος μοι εἴ τι ὀφείλεις.
29 So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’
29 πεσὼν οὖν ὁ σύνδουλος αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν λέγων· μακροθύμησον ἐπ᾽ ἐμοὶ καὶ ἀποδώσω σοι.
30 But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
30 ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.
31 ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτοῦ τὰ γενόμενα ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ ἐλθόντες διεσάφησαν τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτῶν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα.
32 Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.
32 τότε προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ· δοῦλε πονηρέ, πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἐκείνην ἀφῆκά σοι, ἐπεὶ παρεκάλεσάς με.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
33 οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σὲ ἐλεῆσαι τὸν σύνδουλόν σου, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ σε ἠλέησα;
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.
34 καὶ ὀργισθεὶς ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῷ.
35 That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
35 Οὕτω καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐπουράνιος ποιήσει ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῆτε ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν.
Cross references (34)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Mark 9:33–37; Luke 9:46–48; Matthew 20:20–28; Luke 22:24–27; Philippians 2:3
- 2 Matthew 19:13–14; Mark 9:36–37; 1 Kings 3:7; Jeremiah 1:7
- 3 Mark 10:14–15; 1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 19:14; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Luke 18:16–17
- 4 James 4:10; Mark 10:43; Luke 14:11; Luke 9:48; Matthew 23:11–12
- 5 Matthew 25:40; John 13:20; Mark 9:37; Galatians 4:14; Luke 17:1–2
- 6 Mark 9:42; Luke 17:1–2; Matthew 18:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9; Matthew 18:14
- 7 Luke 17:1; 1 Corinthians 11:19; Matthew 26:24; 1 Timothy 4:1–3; Jude 4
- 8 Matthew 5:29–30; Philippians 3:8–9; Romans 13:12; Luke 18:22–23; Ezekiel 18:31
- 9 Acts 14:22; Matthew 18:8; Revelation 21:27; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:29
- 10 Psalm 91:11; Psalm 34:7; Hebrews 1:14; Luke 16:22; Acts 12:7–11
- 12 Ezekiel 34:12; Luke 15:4–7; Ezekiel 34:16; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 34:28
- 13 Luke 15:5–10; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 147:11; Luke 15:23–24; John 4:34–36
- 14 John 17:12; 2 Peter 3:9; John 6:39–40; John 10:27–30; Isaiah 40:11
- 15 Leviticus 19:17; Galatians 6:1; Luke 17:3–4; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; Colossians 3:13
- 16 Deuteronomy 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1; John 8:17; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28
- 17 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 5:9–6:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15; 1 Corinthians 5:3–5; 2 John 10–11
- 18 Matthew 16:19; 2 Corinthians 2:10; John 20:23; 1 Corinthians 5:4–5; Revelation 3:7–8
- 19 Matthew 7:7; 1 John 5:14–16; Mark 11:24; John 14:13–14; Philippians 1:19
- 20 1 Corinthians 5:4; Revelation 21:3; Matthew 28:20; Zechariah 2:5; John 20:26
- 21 Luke 17:3–4; Matthew 18:15
- 22 Colossians 3:13; Mark 11:25; Genesis 4:24; Ephesians 4:31–5:1; Matthew 6:14–15
- 23 Romans 14:12; Matthew 13:24; Matthew 3:2; Matthew 13:44–45; Matthew 13:47
- 24 Psalm 38:4; Psalm 130:3–4; Psalm 40:12; Luke 13:4; Luke 16:5
- 25 Nehemiah 5:5; 2 Kings 4:1; Luke 7:42; Leviticus 25:39; Nehemiah 5:8
- 26 Matthew 18:29; Luke 7:43; Matthew 8:2; Romans 10:3
- 27 Psalm 145:8; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 86:5; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 78:38
- 28 Ezekiel 45:9; Matthew 20:2; Deuteronomy 15:2; Isaiah 58:3; Nehemiah 5:10–11
- 29 Matthew 6:12; Matthew 18:26; Philemon 18–19
- 30 1 Kings 22:27; 1 Kings 21:27–29
- 31 Romans 12:15; Hebrews 13:3; Mark 3:5; Jeremiah 9:1; Hebrews 13:17
- 32 Romans 3:19; Luke 19:22; Matthew 25:26
- 33 Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32–5:2; Matthew 6:12; Luke 6:35–36; Matthew 5:44–45
- 34 James 2:13; Matthew 5:25–26; Luke 12:58–59; 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9; Revelation 14:10–11
- 35 Matthew 6:14–15; James 2:13; Luke 6:37–38; Mark 11:25; Matthew 6:12
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The divine lessons, which we have just heard as they were being read, warn us to gather in a stock of virtues, to fortify a Christian heart, against the offences which were predicted to come, and this from the mercy of the Lord.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
"And if it must needs be that offenses come,'" (some one of our adversaries may perchance say), "why doth He lament over the world, when He ought rather to afford succor, and to stretch forth His hand in its behalf?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The diverse sounds (he adds) are those which give form to that Æon who is without material substance and unbegotten, and these, again, are the forms which the Lord has called angels, who continually behold the face of the Father.
Let them praise Thy Name,--those super-celestial people, Thine angels, who have no need to look up at this firmament, or by reading to attain the knowledge of Thy Word,--let them praise Thee. For they always behold Thy face, and therein read without any syllables in time what Thy eternal will willeth.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
How then doth He say elsewhere, "Reprove, rebuke, exhort," and, "Them that sin rebuke before all?" And Christ too to Peter, "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone," and if he neglect to hear, add to thyself another also; and if not even so doth he yield, declare it to the church likewise?" And how hath …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)