18
1 At that time, the talmidim approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach with this she'elah saying, Who then is greatest in the Malchut HaShomayim? 2 And having called a yeled to himself, he set him before them, 3 and said, Omein, I say to you, unless you change inwardly and have a complete turn around and become like yeladim, you shall never enter the Malchut HaShomayim. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this yeled, he is the greatest in the Malchut HaShomayim.
5 And whoever receives one such yeled in my Name receives me.* 6 But whoever causes a michshol (stumbling block) for one of these little ones, who have emunah in me, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Oy lOlam (Woe to the World) because of its michsholim (stumbling blocks)! For it is inevitable that michsholim come; but oy to that man through whom the michshol comes. 8 And if your hand or your foot causes a michshol for you, cut it off, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter Chayyim crippled or as one of the pisechim (lame), than, having two hands and two feet, to be cast into the Eish Olam (Eternal Fire). 9 And if your eye causes a michshol for you, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter Chayyim one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehinnom HaEish.
10 See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I say to you that their malachim which are in Shomayim continually behold the face of Avi sh'ba'Shomayim (my Father who is in Heaven). 11 For the Bar Enosh† came to save that which was lost. 12 What do you think? If any man owns a hundred kevesim (sheep) and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 And if it turns out that he finds it, beemes I say to you, he has more simcha (joy) over it than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 Thus it is not the ratzon Hashem, the will of your Av sh'ba'Shomayim, that one of these little ones perish.
15 And if your Ach b'Moshiach sins against you, go and reprove him in private, just between the two of you; if he listens to you, you have gained your Ach b'Moshiach. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more Achim b'Moshiach with you, so that by the PI SHNAYIM SHLOSHAH EDIM‡(by the mouth of two or three witnesses) every word shall be established. 17 But if he refuses to listen to them, speak to the shtiebel kehillah, and if he even refuses to hear the kehillah, let him be to you as the Goy (heathen, pagan) and the moches (tax-collector). 18 Omein, I say to you, whatever you bind as asur (prohibited) on haaretz will have been bound in Shomayim, and whatever you permit as mutar on haaretz is mutar (permitted) in Shomayim. 19 Again, omein, I say to you, that if two of you will be in agreement about anything on haaretz that you petition for, it will be done for them by Avi sh'ba'Shomayim. 20 For where two or three are gathered as a Chavurah and are a Kehillah in my name,§ there I am in the midst of them.
21 Then, having approached, Kefa said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach: Adoni, how often will my brother sin against me and I will grant to him selicha (forgiveness)? As many as shevah (seven) times? 22 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to Kefa, I do not say to you as many as shevah, but as many as shivim (seventy) times shevah.
23 Therefore, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a melech, a king, who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And having begun to settle accounts, a debtor owing ten thousand talents (i.e., 60,000,000 denarii) was brought to the melech. 25 And, as this debtor did not have the means to pay what was owed his adon, the king commanded that he and his wife and children and everything he possessed be sold and the debt repaid. 26 Therefore, crying out for rachamim (mercy) and falling down before him, the servant said, Have savlanut (patience) with me and I will pay back to you everything! 27 And out of rachamanut (compassion), the adon of that servant pardoned him and forgave the choiv (debt). 28 Then the debtor went out and found one of the other fellow servants who happened to owe the debtor one hundred denarii. And seizing and choking the servant, the debtor said, Repay what you owe me! 29 And, falling down, the servant said to the debtor, Have savlanut (patience) with me and I will repay you. 30 But the debtor was not willing. Then the debtor went and threw the servant into the beit hasohar (prison) until he should repay the debt. 31 Therefore, when the manʼs fellow servants saw what had taken place, great was their agmat nefesh (grief), and they went and reported to their adon all that had taken place. 32 Then having summoned the debtor, his adon said to him, Wicked servant, all that choiv (debt) I forgave you, because you begged me. 33 Was it not necessary also for you to have rachamim (mercy) upon your fellow servant? 34 And in charon af (wrath), his adon handed the debtor over to the keepers of the beit hasohar until the debtor should repay the entire choiv (debt). 35 Thus also Avi sh'ba'Shomayim will do to you, unless you grant selicha (forgiveness), each one to his brother from your lev (heart).
* 18:5 Moshiach † 18:11 Moshiach ‡ 18:16 Dt 19:15 § 18:20 Moshiach