Matthew 18:12-35

New King James Version

¹²^(A)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴Even so it is not the ^(B)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵“Moreover ^(C)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, ^(D)you have gained your brother. ¹⁶But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ^(E)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a ^(F)heathen and a tax collector.

¹⁸“Assuredly, I say to you, ^(G)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹^(H)“Again^[a] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, ^(I)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered ^(J)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(K)Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, ^(L)up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded ^(M)that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down ^[b]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you ^[c]all.’ ³⁰And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³²Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you ^(N)all that debt because you begged me. ³³Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.