Introducing the Unitarian Standard Version Bible
References Used in the Unitarian Standard Version
Read Matthew 1 and 2 here...Read Matthew 3 here...Read Matthew 4 here...Read Matthew 5 here...Read Matthew 6 here...Read Matthew 7 here...Read Matthew 8 here...Read Matthew 9 here...Read Matthew 10 here...Read Matthew 11 here...Read Matthew 12 here...Read Matthew 13 here...Read Matthew 14 here...Read Matthew 15 here...Read Matthew 16 here...Read Matthew 17 here...
Textual changes are underlined.
1 In that hour came the
disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven? 2 And he called to him a little child, and
set it in the midst of them, 3 and said, Verily I say unto
you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall
in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall
receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: 6 But
whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me
to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone
should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk
in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because
of occasions of stumbling! occasions must come; but
woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! 8 And if thy
hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast
it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or
halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into
the eternal fire. 9 And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble,
pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to
enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to
be cast into the Gehenna(a) of fire. 10 See
that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, that in heaven their angels(b) do always behold
the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 How think ye? if
any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray,
will he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the
mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? 13 And if so be
that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it
more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven,
that one of these little ones should perish.
15 And if thy brother sin
against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him
alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But
if he hear [thee] not, take with thee one or two more, that at
the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be
established. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto
the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him
be unto thee as the Gentile and the tax-collector. 18 Verily I
say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again truly I say
unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching
anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my
Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter and said
to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? until seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times
seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a
certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. 24
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
that owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had
not [wherewith] to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and
his wife, and children, and all he has, and payment to
be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down and paid homage(c)
to him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay
thee all. 27 And the lord of that servant, being moved with
compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But
that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants,
who owed him a hundred denarii: and he laid hold on him, and
took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay, if thou owest
anything. 29 So his fellow-servant fell down and
besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay
thee. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison,
till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his
fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry,
and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then
his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked
servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
besoughtest me: 33 shouldest not thou also have had mercy on
thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? 34 And his
lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he
should pay all that was due. 35 So shall also my heavenly
Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother
from your hearts.
Footnotes
(a) ASV has "hell of fire" here, with a footnote reading "Gehenna of fire" which is what the Greek text has.
(b) NEB has "guardian angels" here.
(c) ASV has "worshipped" here, though the referent is an earthly king.
“The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs... In fact, the Athanasian paradox that one is three, and three but one, is so incomprehensible to the human mind, that no candid man can say he has any idea of it, and how can he believe what presents no idea? He who thinks he does, only deceives himself. He proves, also, that man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without a rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such persons, gullibility which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck.
[Letter to James Smith discussing Jefferson's hate of the doctrine of the Christian trinity, December 8 1822]”
Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson
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