Matthæus 18
1 I den samme Stund gik Disciplene til Jesus og sagde: hvo er den Største i Himmeriges Rige?2 Og Jesus kaldte et Barn til sig og stillede det midt iblandt dem,3 og sagde: sandelig siger jeg Eder: uden I omvende Eder, og blive som Børn, komme I ingenlunde ind i Himmeriges Rige.4 Derfor, hvo sig selv fornedrer som dette Barn, han er den Største i Himmeriges Rige.5 Og hvo som annammer et saadant Barn i mit Navn, annammer mig.6 Men hvo som forarger een af diss Smaa, som troe paa mig, ham var det bedre, at der var hængt en Møllesteen om hans Hals, og han var kastet i Havets Dybhed.7 Vee Verden for Forargelser! Vel er det fornødent, at Forargelser skulle komme; dog vee det Menneske, ved hvilket Forargelse kommer!8 Men dersom din Haand eller din Fod forarger dig, da hug den af og kast den fra dig. Det er dig bedre, at gaae halt eller enKrøbling ind til Livet, end at have to Hænder og to Fødder, og kastes i den evige Ild.9 Og dersom dit Øie forarger dig, da riv det ud og kast det fra dig. Det er dig bedre, at gaae eenøiet ind til Livet, end at have to Øine, og kastes i Helvedes Ild.10 Seer til, at I ikke foragte een af disse Smaa; thi jeg siger Eder: deres Engle i Himlene see altid min Faders Ansigt, som er i Himlene.11 Thi Menneskens Søn er kommen at frelse det, som var fortabt.12 Hvad tykkes Eder? Om et Menneske havde hundrede Faar, og eet af dem foer vild, forlader han ikke de ni og halfremsindstyve, og gaaer paa Bjergene, og leder efter det, som er faret vild?13 Og Hænder det sig, at han finder det, sandelig siger jeg Eder, at han glæder sig mer over det, end over de ni og halvfemsindstyve, som ikke fore vild.14 Saaledes er det ikke Eders himmelske Faders Villie, at een af diss Smaa skal fortabes.15 Men om din Broder synder imod dig, gak hen, og straf ham imellem dig og ham alene; hører han dig, da har du vundet din Broder.16 Men hører han dig ikke, da tag endnu Een eller To med dig, paa det at Sagen maa blive fast efter to eller tre Vidners Mund.17 Men hører han dem ikke, da siig Menigheden det; men hører han ikke Menigheden, da skal han være for dig ligesom en Hedning og Tolder.18 Sandelig siger jeg Eder: hvadsomhelst I binde paa Jorden, skal være bundet i Himmelen; og hvadsomhelst I løste paa Jorden, skal være løst i Himmelen.19 Atter siger jeg Eder, at dersom To af Eder blive enige paa Jorden om hvad for en Sag det er, at de ville bede det det skal vederfares dem af min Fader som er i Himlene.20 Thi hvor To eller Tre ere forsamlede i mit Navn, der er jeg midt iblandt dem.21 Da gik Peter frem til ham og sagde: Herre! hvor ofte skal jeg forlade min Broder, som synder imod mig? indtil syv Gange?22 Jesus sagde til ham; jeg siger dig, ikke indtil syv Gange, men indtil halvfjerdsinstyve Gange syv Gange.23 Derfor er Himmeriges Rige lignet ved en Konge, som vilde holde Regnskab med sine Tjenere.24 Men der han begyndte at holde Regnskab, blev Een ført frem for ham, som var ti tusinde Talenter skyldig.25 Men der han Intet havde at betale med, bød hans Herre ham at sælges og hans Hustru og Børn og alt det, han havde, og Gjælden at betales.26 Da faldt Tjeneren ned for hans Fødder og sagde: Herre! vær langmodig med mig, og jeg vil betlae det altsammen.27 Da ynkedes samme Tjeners Herre inderligen over ham, og gav ham løs og forlod ham Gjælden.28 Men den samme Tjener gik ud og fandt en af sine Medtjenere, som var ham hundrede Penninge skyldig; og han greb fat paa ham og vilde kvæle ham, og sagde betal mig det, du er skyldig.29 Da faldt hans Medtjener ned for hans Fødder, og bad ham og sagde: vær langmodig med mig, og jeg vil betale dig det altsammen.30 Men han vilde ikke, men gik hen og kastede ham i Fængsel, indtil han betalte det, han var skyldig.31 Men der hans Medtjenere saae det, som skeet var, bleve de sare bedrøvede og kom og aabenbarede for deres Herre alt det, som skeet var.32 Da kaldte hans Herre ham for sig og sagde til ham: du onde Tjener! al den Gjæld forlod jeg dig, fordi du bad mig.33 Burde dig ikke og at forbarme dig over din Medtjener, ligesom jeg og har forbarmet mig over dig?34 Og hans Herre blev vred, og overantvordede ham til Bødlerne, indtil han betlate det, han var ham skyldig.35 Saa skal og min himmelske Fader gjøre mod Eder, og I ikke forlade Eders hjerter hver sin Broder hans Brøst.
Matthew 18
Questions About the Greatest
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 He called a child, had him stand among them,3 and said, “I tell you the truth,t unless you turn around and become like little children,s you will nevert enter the kingdom of heaven!4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever welcomest a child like this in my name welcomes me.
6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,t it would be better for him to have a huge millstonets hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.t7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Itt is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.8 Ift your hand or your foot causes you to sin,s cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to havet two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to havet two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.ts
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.ss12 What do you think? If someonet owns a hundreds sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?s13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth,t he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.
Restoring Christian Relationships
15 “Ift your brothert sins,s go and show him his faultt when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.s
17 Ift he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. Ift he refuses to listen to the church, treat him liket a Gentilet or a tax collector.s
18 “I tell you the truth,t whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.19 Again, I tell you the truth,t if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.t
20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brothert who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!t
The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave
23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.t24 Ast he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talentss was brought to him.25 Becauset he was not able to repay it,t the lord ordered him to be sold, along witht his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made.26 Then the slave threw himself to the groundt before him, saying,s ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.28 Aftert he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins.t Sot he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him,t saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’t29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him,t ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt.31 Whent his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.32 Then his lord called the first slavet and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture himt until he repaid all he owed.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive yourt brothert from your heart.”