Matthew 18 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Greatest in the Kingdom

(Mar 9:33–37; Luk 9:46–48 )

Mat 18:1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Mat 18:2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.

Mat 18:3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 18:4

Mat 18:4So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 18:5

Mat 18:5“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[fn] is welcoming me.

(Mar 9:42–48; Luk 17:1, 2 )

Mat 18:6

Mat 18:6But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Mat 18:7

Mat 18:7“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

Mat 18:8

Mat 18:8So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.

Mat 18:9

Mat 18:9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.[fn]

(Luk 15:1–7 )

Mat 18:10

Mat 18:10“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.[fn]

Mat 18:11

Mat 18:11 See Footnote

Parable of the Lost Sheep

Mat 18:12

Mat 18:12“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?

Mat 18:13

Mat 18:13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!

Mat 18:14

Mat 18:14In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

Correcting Another Believer

Mat 18:15

Mat 18:15“If another believer[fn] sins against you,[fn] go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

Mat 18:16

Mat 18:16But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

Mat 18:17

Mat 18:17If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

Mat 18:18

Mat 18:18“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid[fn] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[fn] on earth will be permitted in heaven.

Mat 18:19

Mat 18:19“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

Mat 18:20

Mat 18:20For where two or three gather together as my followers,[fn] I am there among them.”

Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

Mat 18:21

Mat 18:21Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[fn] who sins against me? Seven times?”

Mat 18:22

Mat 18:22“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven![fn]

Mat 18:23

Mat 18:23“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.

Mat 18:24

Mat 18:24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.[fn]

Mat 18:25

Mat 18:25He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

Mat 18:26

Mat 18:26“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’

Mat 18:27

Mat 18:27Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

Mat 18:28

Mat 18:28“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.[fn] He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

Mat 18:29

Mat 18:29“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.

Mat 18:30

Mat 18:30But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

Mat 18:31

Mat 18:31“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.

Mat 18:32

Mat 18:32Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.

Mat 18:33

Mat 18:33Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

Mat 18:34

Mat 18:34Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

Mat 18:35

Mat 18:35“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters[fn] from your heart.”

See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NLT Footnotes

(18:5)

Greek in my name.

(18:9)

Greek the Gehenna of fire.

(18:10)

Some manuscripts add verse 11, And the Son of Man came to save those who are lost. Compare Luke 19:10.

(18:15)

Greek If your brother.

(18:15)

Some manuscripts do not include against you.

(18:18)

Or bind, or lock.

(18:18)

Or loose, or open.

(18:20)

Greek gather together in my name.

(18:21)

Greek my brother.

(18:22)

Or seventy-seven times.

(18:24)

Greek 10,000 talents [375 tons or 340 metric tons of silver].

(18:28)

Greek 100 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage.

(18:35)

Greek your brother.

BLB Footnotes

(18:11)

Some Greek manuscripts exclude this verse. The NLT related footnote for 18:10 states:
18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11, And the Son of Man came to save those who are lost. Compare Luke 19:10.

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For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.