Add parallel Print Page Options

Who Da Numba One Guy?

18 One nodda time da guys Jesus teaching come by him, an aks him, “From all da guys dat get God in da sky fo dea King, who da numba one guy?”

Jesus tell one small kid fo come, an he put um in front dem. He say, “I tell you guys dis fo shua: If you guys no change an start fo tink jalike one litto kid, no way God in da sky goin be yoa King. Da guy dat no tink he gotta be numba one everytime, jalike dis small kid, dat guy goin come numba one, from dose dat get God in da sky fo dea King. Whoeva take in one small kid jalike dis one, cuz da kid stay tight wit me, same ting, dat guy take me in.”

No Good, Make Peopo Do Bad Kine Stuff

Den Jesus say, “Dese small kids hea, dey trus me! If somebody try make um so dey no like trus me no moa, mo betta take one real big heavy stone from da mill, an tie um aroun da guy, den throw him inside da ocean fo drown!

“Auwe! Da peopo hea inside da world, dey goin get it! Cuz get guys ova hea who try fo make odda guys do bad kine stuff! Fo shua, goin get peopo dat like make odda guys do bad kine stuff. But auwe! Da guy dat make one nodda guy do bad kine stuff, he goin get it!

If yoa hand o yoa leg make you do bad kine stuff, cut um off an throw um away! Mo betta you live to da max foeva, no matta you no mo hand o leg. No good you get da hand an da leg, an dey throw you inside da fire dat stay burning foeva. If yoa eye make you do bad kine stuff, pull um out an throw um away! Mo betta you live foeva wit one eye. No good you get two eyes an dey throw you inside Hell wea get plenny fire.”

Da Sheep Dat Stay Lost

10 Jesus say, “Watch out dat you guys no tink you mo betta den one a dese small kids hea. I tell you guys, dey get spesho angel guys inside da sky dat stay wea dey can talk to my Fadda up dea, any time dey like. How you guys figga wat one farma guy goin do? If he get hundred sheeps, an one sheep stay lost, he goin let da ninety-nine odda sheeps stay ova dea by demself on top da hill, an go look fo da one sheep dat stay lost, yeah? An I tell you dis too: wen he find um, he feel mo good inside fo da one sheep he wen find, den fo da ninety-nine sheeps dat neva get lost. [Me, I Da Guy Dass fo Real. I wen come fo take da guys dat stay lost outa da bad kine stuff dey doing.] 14 Dass why my Fadda in da sky no like if even one a da small kids hea stay lost.”

If Yoa Brudda Do Bad Kine Stuff

15 Jesus say, “If yoa brudda do bad ting to you, go tell him wat he wen do. But go by yoaself. If he listen, den he goin come jalike yoa brudda again. 16 But if he no like listen, take one o two odda guys wit you an tell him one mo time, cuz jalike da Bible wen say from befo time, ‘Fo everyting, need two o three guys fo tell wat dey wen see an hear, so you know fo shua wat wen happen.’ 17 If he no like listen to dem, den go tell all da church guys. An if he no like listen to dem, make to him jalike he from one a da peopos dat donno God, o jalike he one crooked guy dat take money fo tax.

Wen You Say ‘Can’ o ‘No Can’

18 “I tell you guys dis too: If you say ‘No can’ bout someting ova hea inside dis world, God in da sky goin say ‘No can’ too. An if you guys say ‘Dass okay’ bout someting ova hea inside dis world, God in da sky goin say ‘Dass okay’ too. 19 I tell you guys one mo time, if two a you guys inside dis world pray togedda to God fo da same ting, my Fadda in da sky goin make um happen fo you guys. 20 Cuz weaeva two o three guys come togedda cuz dey my guys, I stay right ova dea wit dem.”

Da Worka Guy Dat No Like Let Da Odda Guy Go

21 Den Peter go by Jesus an say, “Eh, Boss, how much times my brudda can do bad tings to me, an I gotta let him go? Seven times, o wat?” 22 Jesus tell him, “No, not ony seven times, but seventy times seven.”

23 Den Jesus say, “Dass how you guys gotta make. Cuz everytime wen God in da sky stay King, dass jalike get one king dat check out wat money his worka guys owe him. 24 He sit down, an dey bring one worka guy by him dat owe um uku paila money. 25 But da worka guy no mo money fo pay him, so da king tell da odda worka guys, ‘Kay den. Go sell da guy fo make him one slave, an sell his wife an his kids too, an everyting he get. Dass how he goin pay wat he owe.’

26 “But dat worka guy go down an beg um. He say, ‘Ah, Boss, try wait! Give me chance! I goin pay you back all da money!’ 27 Da king get pity fo him, so he let um go, an tell him, ‘No need pay notting.’

28 “Den dat same worka guy go outside, an spock one nodda worka guy who owe him pay fo four month work. He grab him by da neck, an tell him, ‘Eh! You owe me money! You betta pay me back!’ 29 Da odda worka guy go down an beg um, ‘Try wait! Give me chance! I goin pay you back all da money.’

30 “But da first worka guy no like wait, so he tell da guards fo put da odda guy inside da prison till he can pay wat he owe him.

31 “Da odda worka guys see wat wen happen, an dey all bum out. Dey go tell da king everyting dat wen happen. 32 Den da king tell da first worka guy fo come, an say, ‘You so unreal! You one bad worka guy! You wen beg me. I wen let you go, an tell you dat you no need pay me back notting. 33 But how come you no pity da odda guy, jalike I wen pity you an give you chance?’ 34 Da king stay real huhu. He give da guy to da guards inside da prison fo torture him, till he pay everyting he owe.”

35 Den Jesus say fo finish, “My Fadda in da sky goin do lidat to all you guys, if you no let yoa brudda go fo real kine inside yoa heart, fo all da bad kine stuff yoa brudda wen do to you.”

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(A)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(B) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(C) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(D) And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(E)

Causing to Stumble

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(F) Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!(G) If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,(H) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble,(I) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.(J)

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep(K)

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels(L) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a]

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault,(M) just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d](N) 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;(O) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.(P)

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.(Q)

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them(R) by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(S)

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?(T) Up to seven times?”(U)

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g](V)

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like(W) a king who wanted to settle accounts(X) with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay,(Y) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold(Z) to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.(AA) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.
  2. Matthew 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.
  3. Matthew 18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you
  4. Matthew 18:16 Deut. 19:15
  5. Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
  6. Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
  7. Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
  8. Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
  9. Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).