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 18,12 Mt 18,12
But what think ye? A man had two {Greek: children.}sons; and he came to the first, and said, {Greek: Child.}Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.
And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant;For I do not forget thy commandments.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them.
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath {Hebrew: made to light.}laid on him the iniquity of us all.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in {Hebrew: the day of clouds and thick darkness.}the cloudy and dark day.
My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting-place.
I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.
He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them:
he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me,
even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must {Or, lead}bring, and they shall hear my voice: and {Or, there shall be one flock}they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
No one {Some ancient authorities read took it away}taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have {Or, right}power to lay it down, and I have {Or, right}power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.
There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words.
And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?
Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?
For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and {Or, Overseer}Bishop of your souls.