In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is {Greek: greater.}greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them,
and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the {Greek: greater.}greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me:
but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that {Greek: a millstone turned by an ass.}a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!
And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.
And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the {Greek: Gehenna of fire.}hell of fire.
See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. {Many authorities, some ancient insert verse 11 For the Son of man came to save that which was lost. See Luke 19:10.}
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How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray?
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.
Even so it is not {Greek: a thing willed before your Father.}the will of {Some ancient authorities read my.}your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
And if thy brother sin {Some ancient authorities omit against thee.}against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.
And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the {Or, congregation}church: and if he refuse to hear the {Or, congregation}church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publican.
Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it {Greek: shall become.}shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until {Or, seventy times and seven}seventy times seven.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his {Greek: bondservants.}servants.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand {This talent was probably worth about £200 or $1000.}talents.
But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The {Greek: bondservant.}servant therefore fell down and {See marginal note on chapter 2:2.}worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
And the lord of that {Greek: bondservant.}servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the {Greek: loan.}debt.
But that {Greek: bondservant.}servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred {The word in the Greek denotes a coin worth about eight pence half-penny, or nearly seventeen cents.}shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.
So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.
So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked {Greek: bondservant.}servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me:
shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.
So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.
Querverweise zu Matthäus 18,10 Mt 18,10
but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that {Greek: a millstone turned by an ass.}a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is {Greek: begotten.}conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king's face.
Even so it is not {Greek: a thing willed before your Father.}the will of {Some ancient authorities read my.}your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
And Micaiah said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
A bruised reed shall he not break,And smoking flax shall he not quench,Till he send forth judgment unto victory.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),
In {Or, his…he}whose eyes a reprobate is despised,But {Or, his…he}who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; {Or, He sweareth}He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;
And he shall send forth his angels with {Or, a trumpet of great sound}a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
As for me, {Or, let me}I shall behold thy face in righteousness; {Or, let me}I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.
For who hath despised the day of small things? for these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; these are the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me.
And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place {That is, Two hosts, or, Companies.}Mahanaim.
But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not {Or, to doubtful disputations}for decision of scruples.
One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
And he answered, Fear not; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.
But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.
And Elisha prayed, and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling.
I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died.
The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him,And delivereth them.
It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth {Many ancient authorities add or is offended, or is weak.}.
For he will give his angels charge over thee,To keep thee in all thy ways.
Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
But food will not {Greek: present.}commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, {Greek: do we lack.}are we the worse; nor, if we eat, {Greek: do we abound.}are we the better.
But take heed lest by any means this {Or, power}liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.
For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, {Greek: be builded up.}be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For {Greek: in.}through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ.
Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried.
To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out, and said,
What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the {Or, congregation}church of God, and put them to shame that {Or, have nothing}have not? What shall I say to you? {Or, shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.}shall I praise you? In this I praise you not.
He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
let no man therefore despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come unto me: for I expect him with the brethren.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done {Greek: through.}by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:
And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.
For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,
but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I {See marginal note on chapter 1:8.}preached the gospel unto you the {Greek: former.}first time:
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?
and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor {Greek: spat out.}rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Brethren, even if a man be overtaken {Or, by}in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.