3. Then he said, “I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.
5. “Whoever accepts a little child in my name accepts me.
6. If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, then it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for him to have a large stone tied around his neck and be drowned in the sea.
7. How terrible for the people of the world because of the things that cause them to sin. Such things will happen. But how terrible for the one who causes them to happen.
8. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to have only part of your body but have life forever. That is much better than to have two hands and two feet but be thrown into the fire that burns forever.
9. If your eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to have only one eye but have life forever. That is much better than to have two eyes but be thrown into the fire of hell.
10. “Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven.
11. [The Son of Man came to save lost people.]
12. “If a man has 100 sheep, but 1 of the sheep gets lost, he will leave the other 99 sheep on the hill. He will go to look for the lost sheep.
13. And if he finds it, he is happier about that 1 sheep than about the 99 that were never lost. I tell you the truth.
14. In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost.
15. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him what he did wrong. Do this in private. If he listens to you, then you have helped him to be your brother again.
16. But if he refuses to listen, then go to him again and take one or two other people with you. ‘Every case may be proved by two or three witnesses.’