Amplified Bible

Matthew 18:9-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)

9. And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire.

10. Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.

11. For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.

12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?

13. And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.

14. Just so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish.

15. If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

16. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

17. If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. [Lev. 19:17; Deut. 19:15.]

18. Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.

19. Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.

20. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them. [Exod. 3:14.]

21. Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?

22. Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! [Gen. 4:24.]

23. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.

24. When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000],

25. And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

26. So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.