15"1If your brothersins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16
"But if he does not listen to you, takeoneortwomore with you, so that 2BY THE MOUTH OF TWOORTHREEWITNESSESEVERYFACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
17
"If he refuses to listen to them, 3tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listeneven to the church, 4let him be to you as a Gentile and a taxcollector.
18
"Truly I say to you, 5whatever* you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever* you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
19
"Again I say to you, that iftwo of you agree on earthaboutanything* that they may ask, 6it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20
"For wheretwoorthree have gatheredtogether in My name, 7I amthere in their midst."
Forgiveness
21ThenPetercame and said to Him, "Lord, 8howoften shall my brothersinagainst me and I forgive him? Up to 9seventimes?"
22
Jesussaid to him, "I do not say to you, up to seventimes, but up to 10seventytimesseven.
23
"For thisreason11the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a kingwhowished to 12settleaccounts with his slaves.
24
"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him tenthousandtalents was brought to him.
25
"But since he 13did not have the means to repay, his lordcommanded him 14to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
26
"So the slavefell to the ground and 15prostratedhimselfbefore him, saying, 'Havepatience with me and I will repay you everything.'
27
"And the lord of that slavefeltcompassion and released him and 16forgave him the debt.
28
"But that slavewent out and foundone of his fellowslaveswhoowed him a hundreddenarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Paybackwhat you owe.'
29
"So his fellowslavefell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Havepatience with me and I will repay you.'
30
"But he was unwilling* and went and threw him in prisonuntil he should paybackwhat was owed.
31
"So when his fellowslavessawwhat had happened, they were deeplygrieved and came and reported to their lordall that had happened.
32
"Thensummoning him, his lordsaid to him, 'You wickedslave, I forgave you all that debtbecause you pleaded with me.
33
'17Should you not also have hadmercy on your fellowslave, in the sameway that I hadmercy on you?'
34
"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturersuntil he should repayall that was owed him.
35
"18My heavenlyFather will alsodo the same to you, ifeach of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."