leading children astray

⁶But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea.

⁵And whoever shall accept one such little child in my name, accepts me. ⁶But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea. ⁷Woe to a world that leads people astray! Although it is necessary for temptations to arise, nevertheless: Woe to that man through whom temptation arises! ⁸So if your hand or your foot leads you to sin, cut it off and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life disabled or lame, than to be sent into eternal fire having two hands or two feet. ⁹And if your eye leads you to sin, root it out and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to be sent into the fires of Hell having two eyes.

¹⁴Yet truly, Jesus said to them: “Allow the little children to come to me, and do not choose to prohibit them. For the kingdom of heaven is among such as these.”

¹⁵Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You shall know them by their fruits. Can grapes be gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷So then, every good tree produces good fruit, and the evil tree produces evil fruit. ¹⁸A good tree is not able to produce evil fruit, and an evil tree is not able to produce good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree which does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire. ²⁰Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

¹Therefore, set aside all malice and all deceitfulness, as well as falseness and envy and every detraction. ²Like newborn infants, desire the milk of reasonableness without guile, so that by this you may increase unto salvation, ³if it is true that you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. ⁴And approaching him as if he were a living stone, rejected by men, certainly, but elect and honored by God, ⁵be also yourselves like living stones, built upon him, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, so as to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Because of this, Scripture asserts: “Behold, I am setting in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And whoever will have believed in him will not be confounded.”

¹In that hour, the disciples drew near to Jesus, saying, “Whom do you consider to be greater in the kingdom of heaven?” ²And Jesus, calling to himself a little child, placed him in their midst. ³And he said: “Amen I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever will have humbled himself like this little child, such a one is greater in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵And whoever shall accept one such little child in my name, accepts me. ⁶But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea.

²²For, while proclaiming themselves to be wise, they became foolish.

⁸And should we not do evil, so that good may result? For so we have been slandered, and so some have claimed we said; their condemnation is just.

¹⁶All Scripture, having been divinely inspired, is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in justice,

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him. ²Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who holds this hope in him, keeps himself holy, just as he also is holy. ⁴Everyone who commits a sin, also commits iniquity. For sin is iniquity. ⁵And you know that he appeared in order that he might take away our sins. For in him there is no sin. ⁶Everyone who abides in him does not sin. For whoever sins has not seen him, and has not known him.

¹Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Consider the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth. ³For you have died, and so your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵Therefore, mortify your body, while it is upon the earth. For because of fornication, impurity, lust, evil desires, and avarice, which are a kind of service to idols, ⁶the wrath of God has overwhelmed the sons of unbelief.

¹Therefore, since we have this ministry, and in as much as we have obtained mercy for ourselves, we are not inadequate. ²For we renounce dishonorable and hidden acts, not walking by craftiness, nor by adulterating the Word of God. Instead, by the manifestation of truth, we commend ourselves to the conscience of each man before God. ³But if our Gospel is in some way hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing. ⁴As for them, the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, would not shine in them. ⁵For we are not preaching about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ our Lord. We are merely your servants through Jesus. ⁶For God, who told the light to shine out of darkness, has shined a light into our hearts, to illuminate the knowledge of the splendor of God, in the person of Christ Jesus.

³²May your sons and your daughters be handed over to another people, as your eyes watch and languish at the sight of them throughout the day, and may there be no strength in your hand.