Matthew 18

1 At that time [in that hour, around that time] the disciples [learners, followers] came to Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] and asked, “Who then [which one, who now] is the greatest [most important, having the most authority] in the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s home, the spiritual realm]?” word study 2 Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] invited [called to or summoned, to come near] a little child [a young person, either a boy or girl] to stand [to be in an upright position, either physically or figuratively] among [in the midst of, surrounded by] them [the disciples or followers]. word study 3 “Truly [verily, with utmost certainty] I tell you,” He said, “unless [except, if not] you change [turn, be converted] and become [are transformed] like little children [as humble as little children, having a childlike heart], you will never [in no way, not at all] enter [go into, be admitted to] the kingdom [reign, dominion] of heaven [the heavenly realm, God’s kingdom]. word study 4 Therefore, whoever humbles [humbles themselves, makes themselves low] himself [to lower one’s pride] like this little child [as this young one, in simplicity and humility] is the greatest [most important, highly esteemed] in the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place, the spiritual realm]. word study 5 And whoever [also, in addition] welcomes [receives, gives honor to] a little child [a young person, one such as this] like this [of this kind, with this character] in My [emphasizing the speaker’s identity] name [authority, character] welcomes [receives, accepts] Me [the speaker, Jesus]. word study 6 But if anyone causes [causes to stumble, offends] one of these little ones [who are humble, lowly] who believe [trust, have faith] in Me to stumble, it would be better [more profitable, advantageous] for him to have a large [huge, great] millstone [used for grinding grain] hung around his neck and to be drowned [sunk, plunged] in the depths [the deep, the abyss] of the sea [the open sea, the main body of water]. word study 7 Woe [alas, a cry of sorrow] to the world [the earth and its inhabitants] for the causes [occasions, temptations] of sin [error, wrongdoing]. These stumbling blocks [offenses, traps] must come [are necessary, will inevitably occur], but woe [a cry of sorrow, grief] to the man [a human, a person] through whom [because of, by means of] they come [are introduced, occur]! word study 8 If your hand [or instrument of power] or your foot [or means of progress] causes you to sin [or stumble into wrongdoing], cut it off [sever all ties, completely remove] and throw it away [reject and abandon]. It is better for you to enter life [eternal existence, spiritual union with God] crippled [maimed, physically impaired] or lame [disabled, unable to walk] than to have two hands [full ability and strength] and two feet [complete mobility and freedom] and be thrown into the eternal [endless, forever lasting] fire [divine judgment, purification]. word study 9 And if your eye [the source of vision, insight] causes you to sin [to stumble, to fall into temptation], gouge it out [pluck it out, remove it] and throw it away [cast it from you, reject it]. It is better for you to enter [to go into, to experience] life [eternal life, spiritual existence] with one eye [being one-eyed, having limited vision] than to have two eyes [having complete vision, being fully aware] and be thrown into the fire [the flames, the punishment] of hell [Gehenna, the place of eternal punishment]. word study 10 See that you do not [despise or think little of] look down on any of these little ones [who are humble or lowly]. For I tell you that their angels [messengers of God] in heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s home] always see [perceive and behold] the face [presence and countenance] of My Father [the supreme Parent, divine Authority] in heaven [the sky and God’s dwelling place]. word study 12 What do you think [how do you consider, what is your opinion]? If a man has a hundred [one hundred, a multitude of] sheep and one of them goes astray [is led astray, wanders away], will he not leave the ninety-nine [the remaining, the ones left behind] on the hills [in the mountains, on the heights] and go out [travel, journey] to search for [seek, look for] the one that is lost [gone astray, wandered away]? word study 13 And if he finds [comes across, discovers] it, truly [verily, assuredly] I tell you, he rejoices [is glad, feels joyful] more [rather, to a greater extent] over that one sheep [the lost one, the stray] than over the ninety-nine [ninety and nine, the majority] that did not [have not, never] go astray [lead astray, wander from the truth]. word study 14 In the same way [thus, in this manner], your Father [the heavenly Parent, God] in heaven [the spiritual realm] is not willing [does not desire, is not pleased] that any [one, a single] of these little ones [small, humble children] should perish [be destroyed, lost]. word study 15 If your brother [a fellow believer, sibling in faith] sins [misses the mark, falls short] against you, go [depart, take the initiative] and confront [rebuke, show his fault] him privately [between you and him alone, in a personal setting]. If he listens [hears and obeys, gives ear] to you, you have won [gained, restored] your brother [fellow Christian, sibling] over. word study 16 But if he will not listen [refuse to hear, disobey], take one [a single witness] or two [a pair of witnesses] others along [with you, as companions], so that ‘every matter [issue, dispute] may be established [confirmed, validated] by the testimony [words, statements] of two [a minimum of two] or three [a small group of] witnesses [those who have seen or experienced].’ word study 17 If he refuses [neglects, ignores] to listen [give ear, pay attention] to them, tell [say, report] it to the church [assembly, community of believers]. And if he refuses [will not hear, ignores] to listen [obey, heed] even to the church [congregation, gathering of faithful], regard [treat, consider] him as you would [just as, exactly like] a pagan [Gentile, non-Jewish person] or a tax collector [publican, outcast]. word study 18 Truly [verily, with utmost certainty] I tell you, whatever [what things soever] you bind [tie or fasten, restrict] on earth [the physical world, soil] will be bound [tied or fastened, restricted] in heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s home], and whatever [what things soever] you loose [release or untie, set free] on earth [the physical world, soil] will be loosed [released or untied, set free] in heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s home]. word study 19 Again [once more, as I said before], I tell you truly [with absolute certainty, in all honesty] that if two [a minimal number, a few] of you on the earth [the physical world, the soil] agree [be in harmony, have a unified mind] about anything [every matter, all things] you ask for [request, petition], it will be done [accomplished, fulfilled] for you by My Father [the supreme Parent, the heavenly Father] in heaven [the spiritual realm]. word study 20 For where [in what location, to what place] two [a small group, a few] or [as an alternative, as a choice] three [a specific number, a few more] gather together [assemble, come together in unity] in My [belonging to Me, Mine] name [character, authority, reputation], there [in that place, at that location] am I [exist, present] with [among, in the midst of] them [those people, the gathered ones].” word study 21 Then Peter came [approaching, drawing near] to Jesus and asked, “Lord [Master, God, the supreme authority], how many times [how often, repeatedly] shall I forgive [release, let go of the debt] my brother [fellow believer, sibling] who sins [misses the mark, falls short] against me? Up to [until, as many as] seven times [a complete number of times]?” word study 22 Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] answered, “I tell you [emphatically, as a matter of importance], not just [or only] seven times, but [in contrast, to a much greater extent] seventy-seven times [seventy times seven, implying an unlimited or boundless quantity]! word study 23 Because of this [through or by means of it], the kingdom [domain or reign] of heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s dwelling place] is like a king [sovereign ruler, monarch] who wanted to settle accounts [to reckon or compute together, to take account of] with his servants. word study 24 As he began [to rule, commenced] the settlements [to reckon, take account], a debtor [one who owes, sinner] was brought [led, offered] to him owing [being in debt] ten thousand [a myriad, countless] talents [units of weight, large sum]. word study 25 Since the man was unable [had not the means or resources] to pay, the master [lord, one having authority] ordered [commanded, gave a directive] that he be sold [to be disposed of as merchandise] to pay his debt [what is owed, a financial obligation], along with his wife [woman, spouse] and children [offspring, descendants] and everything [all possessions, whatever he had] he owned [possessed, had in his power]. word study 26 Then the servant [a slave or bondservant] fell on his knees [in worship, prostrate] before him. ‘Have patience [be long-spirited and forbearing] with me [I, the one in need],’ he begged, ‘and I will pay [give or pay something back] back everything [all, every debt].’ word study 27 His master [being moved with pity, having compassion] had compassion [to pity] on him, forgave [released from obligation, canceled] his debt [something borrowed, a loan], and released [set free, loosed] him. word study 28 But when that servant [the same one, previously forgiven] went out, he found one of his fellow servants [companions in service, coworkers] who owed him a hundred denarii [a significant amount, nearly a year’s wages]. He grabbed him [laid hands on him, took hold] and began to choke him [throttle, strangle], saying, ‘Pay back [repay, give back] what you owe me [your debt, what is due to me]!’ word study 29 So his fellow servant [a servant of the same master] fell down [at his feet, in a posture of humility] and begged him [pleading with him, entreating him], ‘Have patience [be long-spirited, forbearing] with me, and I will pay [repay, give back] you back [all that I owe, my full debt].’ word study 30 But he refused [would not, was unwilling]. Instead [but, on the contrary], he went and had the man thrown [cast, tossed] into prison [a place of confinement, guard] until he could pay [repay, settle] his debt [that which was owed, the amount due]. word study 31 When his fellow servants [companions in service, coworkers] saw [perceived, became aware of] what had happened, they were greatly [exceedingly, very] distressed [grieved, sorrowful], and they went and recounted [explained, declared] all of this [everything that had occurred] to their master [lord, the one in authority]. word study 32 Then the master [lord, one in authority] summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked [evil, morally wrong] servant [slave, one bound to serve]! I forgave [released, let go of] all your debt [obligation, something owed] because you begged [pleaded with, asked earnestly] me [with humility, in a state of need]. word study 33 Shouldn’t you [also, in like manner] have had mercy [shown compassion, felt pity] on your fellow servant [co-slave, companion in service], just as [in the same way, when] I had [shown, demonstrated] on you [toward you, for your benefit]?’ word study 34 In anger [great wrath, being wroth] his master [lord, ruler, authority] turned him over [delivered, handed] to the jailers [tormentors, torturers] to be tortured [given punishment, severely treated], until he should repay [pay back, settle] all [everything, the entire debt] that he owed [was due to pay, had to give back]. word study 35 That is how My heavenly [from above, in the spiritual realm] Father [the supreme Parent, divine Source] will treat each of you unless you forgive [release, let go of] your brother [fellow believer, spiritual sibling] from your heart [the seat of thoughts, feelings, and emotions, the inner being].” word study