18

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

6“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. 7Woe 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! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, 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. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]
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? 13And 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. 14In 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 sistersins,go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But 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.’ 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.
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 by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of goldwas brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The 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.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. 31When 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. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In 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.”

18

Leejtwg Yuav Tau Ua Tus Loj Saum Ntuj Ceebtsheej

(Malakaus 9.33-37; Lukas 9.46-48)

1Thaum lub sijhawm ntawd cov thwjtim los cuag Yexus, thiab nug hais tias, “Leejtwg yog tus loj dua ntais saum ntuj Ceebtsheej?”
2Yexus hu ib tug menyuam yaus los sawv ntawm lawv xubntiag, 3thiab hais tias, “Kuv qhia tseeb rau nej hais tias, yog nej tsis hloov nej lub siab kom zoo li tug menyuam yaus no lub, ces nej yuav tsis tau mus saum ntuj Ceebtsheej. 4Tus uas txo hwjchim li tus menyuam yaus no, tus ntawd yuav yog tus uas loj dua ntais nyob saum ntuj Ceebtsheej. 5Tus uas lees yuav tus menyuam yaus no ntawm kuv lub npe, kuj yog tus ntawd lees yuav kuv.

Yam uas Ntxias Neeg Ua Txhaum

(Malakaus 9.42-48; Lukas 17.1-2)

6“Yog leejtwg ua rau cov menyuam uas ntseeg kuv no ib tug ua txhaum, cia li muab hlua khi ib txhib zeb uas loj dai rau tus ntawd cajdab, thiab coj nws mus pov rau hauv hiavtxwv yuav zoo dua. 7Lub ntiajteb no yuav raug puastsuaj, rau qhov muaj tej uas ua rau neeg ua txhaum! Yeej yuav muaj tej ntawd los, tiamsis tus uas ua kom muaj tej ntawd yuav raug kev puastsuaj!
8“Yog koj txhais tes lossis koj txhais kotaw ua rau koj ua txhaum, koj cia li muab txhais ntawd txiav povtseg! Yog koj tu ib sab tes lossis ib sab kotaw, koj tau txojsia, zoo dua li koj muaj ob txhais tes lossis ob txhais kotaw, thiab muab koj pov rau hauv lub cubtawg uas cig tsis paub tuag mus ibtxhis li. 9Thiab yog koj ib sab qhovmuag ua rau koj ua txhaum, koj cia li muab sab ntawd kaus povtseg! Koj muaj ib sab qhovmuag xwb, koj tau txojsia, zoo dua li koj muaj ob sab qhovmuag, thiab muab koj pov rau hauv ntujtawg.

Tus Yaj uas Ploj Lawm

(Lukas 15.3-7)

10“Nej yuav tsum ceevfaj, tsis txhob saib tsis taus cov menyuam no ib tug: Kuv qhia rau nej hais tias, cov timtswv ceebtsheej uas nyob ntawm kuv Txiv tus uas nyob saum ntuj Ceebtsheej lub xubntiag niaj hnub tsomkwm cov menyuam no. 11[Qhov uas Neeg Leej Tub los, yog los nrhiav cov uas yuam kev lawm.]
12“Nej xav li cas? Muaj ib tug txivneej muaj ib puas tus yaj, yog ib tug ploj lawm, nws yeej yuav tso cuaj caum cuaj tug rau pem ntav toj, thiab mus nrhiav tus uas ploj lawm. 13Kuv qhia rau nej hais tias, thaum nws nrhiav tau lawm, nws zoo siab rau tus uas ploj lawm heev dua li nws zoo siab rau cuaj caum cuaj tug uas tsis ploj. 14Ib yam nkaus li ntawd, nej Leej Txiv tus uas nyob saum ntuj Ceebtsheej yeej tsis xav kom cov menyuam no ib tug puastsuaj li.

Tus Kwvtij uas Ua Txhaum

15“Yog koj ib tug kwvtij ua txhaum rau koj, koj cia li mus qhia nws qhov txhaum rau nws thaum neb ob leeg xwb. Yog nws mloog koj lus, koj yuav tau nws rov los ua koj kwvtij li qub. 16Tiamsis yog nws tsis mloog koj lus, koj cia li coj ib lossis ob tug nrog koj mus, thiaj raws li Vajtswv Txojlus uas tau qhia tseg hais tias, ‘Thaum koj mus qhia ib tug qhov txhaum rau nws, koj yuav tsum coj ob peb leeg nrog koj mus ua timkhawv.’ 17Tiamsis yog nws tsis mloog lawv lus, nej cia li mus piav txhua yam qhia rau cov ntseeg. Yog nws tsis mloog cov ntseeg lus thiab, ces nej cia li suav hais tias nws yog lwm haivneeg lossis yog ib tug neeg uas sau se.

Txwv thiab Tso Cai

18“Kuv qhia tseeb rau nej hais tias, yam twg uas nej txwv hauv ntiajteb no, Vajtswv yuav txwv yam ntawd saum ntuj ceebtsheej, thiab yam twg uas nej tso cai hauv ntiajteb no, Vajtswv yuav tso cai yam ntawd saum ntuj ceebtsheej.
19“Kuv qhia ntxiv rau nej hais tias, yog nej cov uas nyob hauv ntiajteb no muaj ob leeg ua ib lub siab thov yam twg, kuv Txiv tus uas nyob saum ntuj ceebtsheej yuav pub yam ntawd rau nkawd. 20Rau qhov yog muaj ob lossis peb leeg tuaj nyob ua ke qhov twg tuav kuv lub npe thov, kuv yuav nrog lawv nyob qhov ntawd.”

Tus Tubtxib uas Tsis Zam Txim

21Petus los nug Yexus hais tias, “Tus Tswv, yog kuv ib tug kwvtij pheej ua txhaum rau kuv, kuv yuav zam txim rau nws pestsawg zaus? Zam xya zaus los?”
22Yexus teb hais tias, “Tsis yog xya zaus xwb, tiamsis yog xya zaus xya caum. 23Ntuj Ceebtsheej piv ib yam li ib tug vajntxwv mus txheeb nws tej ntawv saib nws cov tubtxib puas muaj leejtwg tshuav nws nqi. 24Thaum nws nyuam qhuav pib txheeb, txawm muaj neeg cov ib tug tubtxib uas tshuav vajntxwv nqi ib plhom nyiaj los cuag vajntxwv. 25Tus tubtxib ntawd tsis muaj nyiaj them, ces vajntxwv thiaj hais kom tus tubtxib ntawd, cia li muab nws thiab nws pojniam menyuam thiab txhua yam uas nws muaj mus muag huv tibsi, kom tau nyiaj los them nws tej nqi. 26Tus tubtxib ntawd txawm txhos caug ntua ntawm vajntxwv kotaw thiab thov hais tias, ‘Thov koj ua siab ntev rau kuv, kuv mam li mus nrhiav los them rau koj huv tibsi!’ 27Vajntxwv hlub tus tubtxib ntawd, ces vajntxwv txawm zam tej nqi huv tibsi rau nws thiab tso nws mus lawm.
28“Thaum tus tubtxib ntawd tawm mus, nws mus ntsib ib tug uas yog lawv tib pab tubtxib. Tus ntawd tshuav nws nqi ib puas lub nyiaj xwb. Nws txawm ntsiab nkaus tus ntawd nyem cajpas thiab hais tias, ‘Koj cia li them cov nqi uas koj tshuav kuv los rau kuv tamsim no!’ 29Tus ntawd txhos caug ntua thov nws hais tias, ‘Thov koj ua siab ntev rau kuv, kuv mam li nrhiav los them rau koj!’ 30Tiamsis tus tubtxib ntawd tsis yib li, nws txawm coj tus ntawd mus kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj, mus txog hnub uas tus ntawd them nqis tas. 31Thaum nws tib pab tubtxib pom nws ua li ntawd, lawv chim heev, lawv thiaj mus qhia zaj ntawd rau vajntxwv. 32Vajntxwv txawm hu tus tubtxib ntawd tuaj cuag nws thiab hais tias, ‘Tus tubtxib uas siab phem! Kuv twb zam tej nujnqis uas koj tshuav kuv huv tibsi rau koj lawm, vim koj thov kuv. 33Tsimnyog koj yuav tsum hlub tus tubtxib uas yog koj tib pab, ib yam li kuv twb hlub koj lawm.’ 34Vajntxwv chim heev, nws txawm kom luag muab tus tubtxib ntawd coj mus kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj mus txog hnub uas tus ntawd them nqi tas.”
35Yexus xaus lus hais tias, “Yog nej ib leeg tsis zam txim rau ib leeg, kuv Txiv tus uas nyob saum ntuj ceebtsheej yuav ua ib yam nkaus li ntawd rau nej thiab.”