Matthew 18:1-20

Easy-to-Read Version

Who Is the Greatest?^(A)

18 About that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in God’s kingdom?”

² Jesus called a little child to come to him. He stood the child in front of the followers. ³ Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom. ⁴ The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.

⁵ “Whoever accepts a little child like this in my name is accepting me.

Jesus Warns About Causes of Sin^(B)

⁶ “If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the deep sea. ⁷ I feel sorry for the people in the world because of the things that make people sin. These things must happen, but it will be very bad for anyone who causes them to happen.

⁸ “If your hand or your foot makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body and have eternal life than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the fire that burns forever. ⁹ If your eye makes you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to have only one eye and have eternal life than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Jesus Uses a Story About a Lost Sheep^(C)

¹⁰ “Be careful. Don’t think these little children are not important. I tell you that these children have angels in heaven. And those angels are always with my Father in heaven. ^11 [a]

¹² “If a man has 100 sheep, but one of the sheep is lost, what will he do? He will leave the other 99 sheep on the hill and go look for the lost sheep. Right? ¹³ And if he finds the lost sheep, he is happier about that one sheep than about the 99 sheep that were never lost. I can assure you, ¹⁴ in the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost.

When Someone Hurts You^(D)

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, go and tell them what they did wrong. Do this when you are alone with them. If they listen to you, then you have helped them to be your brother or sister again. ¹⁶ But if they refuse to listen, go to them again and take one or two people with you. Then there will be two or three people who will be able to tell all that happened.^{[b] 17} If they refuse to listen to them, tell the church. And if they refuse to listen to the church, treat them as you would treat someone who does not know God or who is a tax collector.

¹⁸ “I can assure you that when you speak judgment here on earth, it will be God’s judgment. And when you promise forgiveness here on earth, it will be God’s forgiveness.^{[c] 19} To say it another way, if two of you on earth agree on anything you pray for, my Father in heaven will do what you ask. ²⁰ Yes, if two or three people are together believing in me, I am there with them.”