Who Is the Most Important Person in the Kingdom?
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus. They asked him, “Then who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?”
2Jesus called a little child over to him. He had the child stand among them. 3Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don’t, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Anyone who takes the humble position of this child is the most important in the kingdom of heaven. 5Anyone who welcomes a little child like this one in my name welcomes me.
Do Not Cause People to Sin
6“What if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If they do, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and be drowned at the bottom of the sea. 7How terrible it will be for the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Things like that must come. But how terrible for the person who causes them! 8If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one hand than go into hell with two hands. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one foot than go into hell with two feet. In hell the fire burns forever. 9If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
The Story of the Wandering Sheep
10-11“See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. Here is what I tell you. Their angels in heaven are always with my Father who is in heaven.
12“What do you think? Suppose a man owns 100 sheep and one of them wanders away. Won’t he leave the 99 sheep on the hills? Won’t he go and look for the one that wandered off? 13What I’m about to tell you is true. If he finds that sheep, he is happier about the one than about the 99 that didn’t wander off. 14It is the same with your Father in heaven. He does not want any of these little ones to die.
When Someone Sins Against You
15“If your brother or sister sins against you, go to them. Tell them what they did wrong. Keep it between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them back. 16But what if they won’t listen to you? Then take one or two others with you. Scripture says, ‘Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.’ (Deuteronomy 19:15) 17But what if they also refuse to listen to the witnesses? Then tell it to the church. And what if they refuse to listen even to the church? Then don’t treat them as a brother or sister. Treat them as you would treat an ungodly person or a tax collector.
18“What I’m about to tell you is true. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.
19“Again, here is what I tell you. Suppose two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for. My Father in heaven will do it for you. 20Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.”
The Servant Who Had No Mercy
21Peter came to Jesus. He asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.
23“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. 24As the king began to do it, a man who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought to him. 25The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed.
26“Then the servant fell on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged. ‘I’ll pay everything back.’ 27His master felt sorry for him. He forgave him what he owed and let him go.
28“But then that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him 100 silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said.
29“The other servant fell on his knees. ‘Give me time,’ he begged him. ‘I’ll pay it back.’
30“But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison. The man would be held there until he could pay back what he owed. 31The other servants saw what had happened and were very angry. They went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the first servant in. ‘You evil servant,’ he said. ‘I forgave all that you owed me because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant just as I had mercy on you?’ 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers. He would be punished until he paid back everything he owed.
35“This is how my Father in heaven will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Omukulu mu Bwakabaka obw’Omu Ggulu
1Mu kiseera ekyo abayigirizwa ba Yesu ne bajja gy’ali nga bagamba nti, “Ani asinga obukulu mu bwakabaka obw’omu ggulu?”
2Yesu n’ayita omwana omuto n’amussa mu makkati gaabwe. 318:3 a Mat 19:14; 1Pe 2:2 b Mat 3:2N’abagamba nti, “Ddala ddala mbagamba nti bwe mutakyuke kufaanana ng’abaana abato temugenda kuyingira mu bwakabaka obw’omu ggulu. 418:4 Mak 9:35Noolwekyo buli eyeetoowaza ng’omwana ono omuto y’aliba asinga obukulu mu bwakabaka obw’omu ggulu.
518:5 Mat 10:40“Na buli asembeza omwana omuto ng’ono mu linnya lyange ng’asembeza Nze. 618:6 Mak 9:42; Luk 17:2Naye alyesittaza omu ku baana abato anzikiririzaamu, asaanidde okusibibwa olubengo mu bulago asuulibwe mu nnyanja.”
718:7 Luk 17:1“Ensi zigisanze! Kubanga ejjudde ebibi bingi. Okukemebwa okukola ebibi tekulema kubaawo, naye zimusanze oyo akuleeta. 818:8 Mat 5:29; Mak 9:43, 45Obanga omukono gwo gukuleetera okwonoona gutemeko ogusuule. Kisinga okuyingira mu bulamu ng’ogongobadde oba ng’olemadde, okusinga okugenda mu muliro ogutazikira ng’olina emikono ebiri n’ebigere bibiri. 918:9 a Mat 5:29 b Mat 5:22Obanga eriiso lyo nga likuleetera okwonoona, liggyeemu olisuule. Kisinga okuyingira mu ggulu ng’olina eriiso limu okusinga okusuulibwa mu muliro gwa ggeyeena ng’olina amaaso go gombi.”
Olugero lw’Endiga Eyabula
1018:10 Lub 48:16; Zab 34:7; Bik 12:11, 15; Beb 1:14“Mwekuume obutanyoomanga n’omu ku baana bano abato. Kubanga mbagamba nti bamalayika baabwe ennaku zonna babeera mu maaso ga Kitange ali mu ggulu. 11Kubanga Omwana w’Omuntu yajja okulokola ekyabula18:11 Olunyiriri luno lwateekebwamu kubanga ebigambo ebyo byali ne mu Luk 19:10. Kyokka nga mu biwandiiko eby’Oluyonaani ebyedda tebyalimu.
12“Mulowooza kiki ekituufu? Omuntu bw’aba n’endiga ze ekikumi, emu n’emubulako, taleka ziri ekyenda mu omwenda ku lusozi n’agenda anoonya eri emu ebuze? 13Ddala ddala mbagamba nti, bw’agiraba agisanyukira nnyo okusinga ziri ekyenda mu omwenda ezitaabuze. 14Kale bwe kityo ne Kitammwe ali mu ggulu tasiima kulaba ng’omu ku bato bano ng’azikirira.”
Owooluganda Okusonyiwa Muganda we
1518:15 Lv 19:17; Luk 17:3; Bag 6:1; Yak 5:19, 20“Muganda wo bw’akusobyanga ogendanga gy’ali n’omutegeeza ekisobyo kye nga muli babiri. Bw’akkirizanga n’akwetondera olwo ng’oggyeemu omuntu mu muganda wo. 1618:16 Kbl 35:30; Ma 17:6; 19:15; Yk 8:17; 2Ko 13:1; 1Ti 5:19; Beb 10:28Naye bw’agaananga okukuwuliriza, ofunangayo omuntu omulala omu oba babiri obujulirwa bw’abantu ababiri oba abasatu bukakase buli kigambo. 1718:17 a 1Ko 6:1-6 b Bar 16:17; 2Bs 3:6, 14Naye bw’agaananga okubawuliriza ng’ensonga ozitwala eri Ekkanisa. Singa agaana okuwuliriza Ekkanisa, abeere nga munnaggwanga, era omuwooza w’omusolo.
1818:18 Mat 16:19; Yk 20:23“Ddala ddala mbagamba nti byonna bye mulisiba ku nsi, ne mu ggulu birisibwa ne bye mulisumulula ku nsi, ne mu ggulu bigenda kusumululwa.
1918:19 Mat 7:7“Era ddala ddala mbagamba nti bwe munaabanga babiri mu nsi ne mukkiriziganya ku ekyo kye mwagala okusaba, Kitange ali mu ggulu alikibakolera. 20Kubanga abantu ababiri oba abasatu bwe banaakuŋŋaananga mu linnya lyange, nange nnaabeeranga awo wakati waabwe.”
Olugero lw’Omuddu Atasonyiwa
2118:21 a Mat 6:14 b Luk 17:4Awo Peetero n’ajja n’abuuza Yesu nti, “Mukama wange, muganda wange bw’ansobyanga musonyiwanga emirundi emeka? Emirundi musanvu?”
2218:22 Lub 4:24Yesu n’amuddamu nti, “Sikugamba nti emirundi musanvu naye emirundi nsanvu emirundi musanvu.”
2318:23 a Mat 13:24 b Mat 25:19Awo Yesu n’agamba nti, “Obwakabaka obw’omu ggulu bufaananyizibwa nga kabaka eyayagala okubala ebitabo bye eby’ensimbi, n’abaddu be. 24Bwe yatandika okubikebera ne bamuleetera gw’abanja ettalanta18:24 Ettalanta ke kasiimo omukozi k’afuna oluvannyuma lw’okukolera emyaka kkumi n’ettaano omutwalo gumu. 2518:25 a Luk 7:42 b Lv 25:39; 2Bk 4:1; Nek 5:5, 8Naye olw’okuba ng’omusajja teyalina nsimbi za kusasula bbanja eryo, mukama we kyeyava alagira batunde omusajja oyo ne mukazi we n’abaana be n’ebintu bye byonna ebbanja liggwe.
2618:26 Mat 8:2“Naye omuddu oyo n’agwa wansi mu maaso ga mukama we, n’amwegayirira nti, ‘Ngumiikiriza, nzija kukusasula ebbanja lyonna.’
27“Mukama we n’asaasira omuddu oyo n’amusonyiwa ebbanja lyonna!
28“Omuddu oyo bwe yafuluma n’asanga munne gwe yali abanja eddinaali18:28 Eddinaali eddinaali emu y’empeera ey’olunaku olumu kikumi, n’amugwa mu bulago nga bw’amugamba nti, ‘Ssasula kye nkubanja.’
29“Naye munne n’agwa wansi, n’amwegayirira ng’agamba nti, ‘Ngumiikiriza, nnaakusasula.’
30“Naye amubanja n’agaana okumuwuliriza, n’amuteeka mu kkomera akuumirwe omwo okutuusa lw’alisasula ebbanja lyonna. 31Awo baddu banne bwe baakiraba ne banakuwala nnyo, ne bagenda bategeeza mukama we ebigambo bye balabye.
32“Awo mukama we n’atumya omuddu gwe yali asonyiye n’amugamba nti, ‘Oli muddu mubi nnyo. Nakusonyiye ebbanja eryo lyonna, kubanga wanneegayiridde, 33naye ggwe kyali tekikugwanira kusaasira muddu munno nga nange bwe nakusaasidde?’ 34Mukama we kyeyava asunguwala nnyo, n’amukwasa abaserikale bamusse mu kkomera okutuusa lw’alisasula ebbanja lyonna.
3518:35 Mat 6:14; Yak 2:13“Kale ne Kitange ali mu ggulu bw’atyo bw’alibakola singa mmwe abooluganda temusonyiwa okuva mu mitima gyammwe.”
