Then when they came to Capernaum, those who took up the two-drachma tax came up to Peter and said: Does not your teacher pay the two drachmas? He said: Yes. And as he was going into the house, Jesus intercepted him and said: What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take their taxes and their assessment? From their sons or from strangers? When he said: From strangers, Jesus said to him: Thus their sons go free. But so that we may cause them no trouble, go to the sea and let down your hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and open its mouth and you will find a stater. Take it and give it to them, for you and me.
•1 In that time, his disciples came to Jesus and said: Who is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven? Then he called a child to him and set him in the midst of them, and said: Truly I tell you, if you do not turn about and become as children are, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He then who makes himself small as this child is, he shall be the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven. And if one accepts one child like this in my name, he accepts me. But if one leads astray one of these little ones who have faith in me, it is better for him to have a millstone hung about his neck and be drowned in the sea. Woe to the world from the troubles which shall be caused. For it is necessary for the troubles to come, but woe to him through whom the trouble comes. If your hand or foot makes you go amiss, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better to go into life one-handed or lame than with both hands and both feet to be thrown into everlasting fire. And if your eye makes you go amiss, take it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to go into life with one eye than with both eyes to be thrown into Gehenna. Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven forever look upon the face of my father in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, will he not let the ninety-nine go on the mountain, and go and look for the one that has strayed? And if it befalls him to find it, truly I tell you, he takes more joy over it than over the ninety- nine that did not stray. Thus there is no intention on the part of your father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should be lost.
If your brother does you wrong, go and charge him with it between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he does not listen to you, take along with you one or two more, so that everything said may be on the lips of two or three witnesses. And if he will not listen to them, tell it to the congregation. And if he will not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector. Truly I tell you, all that you close on earth shall be closed in heaven, and all that you open on earth shall be open in heaven. Again I tell you, if two of you agree on earth concerning everything they ask for, it shall be granted them by my father in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.
Then Peter came to him and said: Lord, how many times shall my brother do me wrong, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him: I tell you, not as many as seven times, but as many as seventy times seven. Thus the Kingdom of Heaven has been likened to a man who is a king, who wished to settle accounts with his slaves, and as he began to cast up accounts, there was brought to him one who was in his debt for ten thousand talents. When he could not pay it, the master said he must be sold, and his wife and children and all he had, and payment made. Then the slave threw himself down and worshipped him, saying: Delay your anger against me, and I will pay you back all. And the master took pity on his slave and let him go and forgave him his debt. That slave went out and found a fellow slave who owed him a hundred denarii, and seized him and choked him and said: Pay me back what you owe me. His fellow slave threw himself down before him and begged him, saying: Delay your anger against me and I will pay you back. But he would not, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay his debt. When his fellow slaves saw this they were much grieved and went and explained to their master all that had happened. Then the master called the man before him and said to him: Wicked slave, I forgave you all that other debt, since you begged me to. Should you not then have had pity on your fellow slave, as I myself pitied you? And the master in anger handed him over to the torturers until he could pay back all that he owed him. Thus also will my father in heaven do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother, from your heart.
• 1 Then it came about that when Jesus had done with these sayings, he removed from Galilee and went into the border districts of Judaea, across Jordan. And many multitudes followed him, and he treated them.
Then Pharisees came to him, making trial of him and saying: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife, for any cause? He answered and said: Have you not read that from the beginning the creator made them male and female, and said: Because of this, a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they will be two in one flesh. So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Then what God has joined together, let man not separate. They said to him: Why then did Moses decree that one might give a note of divorce, and divorce her. He said to them: Moses, looking toward the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives; but it was not so from the beginning. And I tell you that he who divorces his wife, except for harlotry, and marries another, is committing adultery. His disciples said to him: If this is the case with man and wife, it is better not to marry. He said to them: Not all can accept this saying, but those to whom it is given. For there are sexless men who have been so from their mother's womb, and there are sexless men who have been made sexless by other men, and there are sexless men who have made themselves sexless for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him who can accept, accept.
Then children were brought to him, so that he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But his disciples scolded them. But Jesus said: Let the children be and do not prevent them from coming to me. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and went away from there.
Then, behold, there was one who came to him and said: Master, what shall I do that is good, so that I may have life forever? He said to him: Why do you ask me about good? One only is good. But if you wish to enter life, keep the commandments. He said to him: Which commandments? Jesus said: That you shall not murder, or commit adultery, or steal, or bear false witness; honor your father and your mother, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. The young man said to him: I have kept all these commandments. What more must I do? Jesus said to him: If you wish to be perfect, go sell what belongs to you and give it to the poor, and you shall have a treasury in heaven. And come and follow me. When the young man heard what he said, he went sadly away; for he was one who had many possessions. But Jesus said to his disciples: Truly I tell you that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I tell you that it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. When his disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, and said: Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said: For men it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. Then Peter took him up and said: See, we have given up everything and followed you. What then will there be for us? Jesus said to them: Truly I tell you, in the next life, when the son of man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me shall be seated, you also, upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name, shall have them back many times over and inherit life everlasting. And many who are first shall be last, and many who are last shall be first.