Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

^1(A) And after six days Jesus took with him^(B) Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ²And he was^(C) transfigured before them, and^(D) his face shone like the sun, and^(E) his clothes became white as light. ³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for^(F) Elijah.” ⁵He was still speaking when, behold,^(G) a bright cloud overshadowed them, and^(H) a voice from the cloud said,^(I) ”This is my beloved Son,^[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” ⁶When^(J)the disciples heard this,^(K) they fell on their faces and were terrified. ⁷But Jesus came and^(L)touched them, saying, ”Rise, and^(M) have no fear.” ⁸And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. ^9(N) And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ^(O) ”Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”¹⁰And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say^(P)that first Elijah must come?”¹¹He answered, ”Elijah does come, and^(Q) he will restore all things. ¹²But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but^(R) did to him whatever they pleased.^(S) So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” ^13(T) Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

^14(U) And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, ¹⁵said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is^(V) an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶And I brought him to your disciples, and^(W) they could not heal him.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered, ”O faithless and^(X) twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?^(Y) How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸And Jesus^(Z) rebuked the demon,^[b] and it^[c] came out of him, and^(AA)the boy was healed instantly.^[d] 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰He said to them, ^(AB)“Because of your little faith. For^(AC) truly, I say to you,^(AD) if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,^(AE) you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and^(AF)nothing will be impossible for you.”^[e]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

^22(AG) As they were gathering^[f] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ”The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, ²³and they will kill him, and he will be raised on^(AH) the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

^24(AI) When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of^(AJ) the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” ²⁵He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ^(AK)“What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or^(AL) tax? From their sons or from others?” ²⁶And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, ”Then the sons are free. ²⁷However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.^[g] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Matthew 18

Who Is the Greatest?

^1(AM) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ²And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³and said, ”Truly, I say to you, unless you^(AN) turn and^(AO) become like children, you^(AP) will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ^4(AQ) Whoever humbles himself like this child is the^(AR) greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ^5(AS) ”Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ⁶but^(AT) whoever causes one of these^(AU) little ones who believe in me to sin,^[h] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

⁷“Woe to the world for^(AV) temptations to sin!^[i](AW) For it is necessary that temptations come,^(AX) but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! ^8(AY) And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into^(AZ) the eternal fire. ^9(BA) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the^(BB)hell^[j] of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰“See that you do not despise^(BC) one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven^(BD) their angels always^(BE) see the face of my Father who is in heaven.^[k] 12(BF) What do you think?^(BG) If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴So^(BH) it is not the will of my^[l] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

^15(BI) ”If your brother sins against you,^(BJ) go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have^(BK) gained your brother. ¹⁶But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established^(BL) by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them,^(BM) tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church,^(BN) let him be to you as^(BO) a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸Truly, I say to you,^(BP) whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[m] in heaven. ¹⁹Again I say to you, if two of you^(BQ) agree on earth about anything they ask,^(BR) it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are^(BS) gathered in my name,^(BT) there am I among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often^(BU) will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?^(BV) As many as seven times?”²²Jesus said to him, ”I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.^[n] 23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished^(BW) to settle accounts with his servants.^[o] 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him^(BX)ten thousand^(BY) talents.^[p] 25(BZ) And since he could not pay, his master ordered him^(CA) to be sold, with his wife and^(CB) children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the servant^[q](CC) fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and^(CD) forgave him the debt. ²⁸But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred^(CE) denarii,^[r] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.³²Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ^33(CF) And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ^34(CG) And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[s](CH) until he should pay all his debt. ^35(CI)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother^(CJ) from your heart.”