Matthew 18:10-25

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones,^(A) because I tell you that in heaven their angels^(B) continually view the face of My Father in heaven.^(C) [¹¹ For the Son of Man^(D) has come to save the lost.]^{[a] 12} What do you think?^(E) If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray?^{(F) 13} And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep^[b] more than over the 99 that did not go astray. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Restoring a Brother

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you,^[c] go and rebuke him in private.^[d] If he listens to you, you have won your brother.^{(G) 16} But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony^[e] of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.^{(H)[f] 17} If he pays no attention to them, tell the church.^[g](I) But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever^[h] and a tax collector to you.^{(J) 18} I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound^[i] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed^[j] in heaven.^{(K) 19} Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you^[k] pray for, it will be done for you^[l] by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”^(L)

²² “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.^{[m] 23} For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents^[n] was brought before him. ²⁵ Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.^(M)