Matthew 18:1-20

The Greatest in the Kingdom

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ¹

2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.

3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Temptations and Trespasses

6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ²

7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. ^[a]

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven. ^{[b] 3}

12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?

13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

A Brother Who Sins

15 If your brother sins against you, ^[c] go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ⁴

16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ^[d]

17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Ask in My Name

19 Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. ⁵

20 For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

Cross References

• 1. (Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)
• 2. (Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)
• 3. (Luke 15:1–7)
• 4. (Deuteronomy 19:15–21)
• 5. (John 16:23–33)

Footnotes

• [a] Or the hell of fire; Greek the Gehenna of fire
• [b] BYZ and TR include 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost; see Luke 19:10.
• [c] NE and WH do not include against you.
• [d] Deuteronomy 19:15