Matthew 18:11-21

11 [ "¹For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

12 "What do you think? ²If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine * on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine * which have not gone astray.

14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Discipline and Prayer

15 "³If your brother sins, 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, take one or two more with you, so that ⁴BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

17 "If he refuses to listen to them, ⁵tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, ⁶let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 "Truly I say to you, ⁷whatever * 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 if two of you agree on earth about anything * that they may ask, ⁸it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, ⁹I am there in their midst."

Forgiveness

21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, ¹⁰how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to ¹¹seven times?"

Cross References

• 1. Luke 19:10
• 2. Matthew 18:12-14: {Luke 15:4-7}
• 3. Leviticus 19:17; Luke 17:3; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; James 5:19
• 4. Deuteronomy 19:15; John 8:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28
• 5. 1 Corinthians 6:1f
• 6. 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14
• 7. Matthew 16:19; John 20:23
• 8. Matthew 7:7
• 9. Matthew 28:20
• 10. Matthew 18:15
• 11. Luke 17:4

Footnotes

• [a] Early mss do not contain this v
• [b] Lit "before"
• [c] Late mss add "against you"
• [d] Or "reprove"
• [e] Lit "between you and him alone"
• [f] Lit "word"
• [g] Lit "the"
• [h] Lit "the"
• [i] Or "forbid"
• [j] Gr fut. pft. pass.
• [k] Or "permit"
• [l] Gr fut. pft. pass.
• [m] Lit "from"