# Matthew 18.15

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-04 | updated: 2026-06-04 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">And if so be that he find it, truly I say unto you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.</span>
>
> **15. <span class="rl-speech">And if your brother sin against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone: if he hear you, you have gained your brother.</span>**
>
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he hear you not, take with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">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 you as the Gentile and the tax collector.</span> (Matthew 18:13-17, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.</span>
>
> **15. <span class="rl-speech">“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.</span>**
>
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.</span> (Matthew 18:13-17, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.</span>
>
> **15. <span class="rl-speech">Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.</span>**
>
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.</span> (Matthew 18:13-17, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">and if it may come to pass that he doth find it, verily I say to you, that he doth rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray;</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">so it is not will in presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones may perish.</span>
>
> **15. <span class="rl-speech">'And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother;</span>**
>
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">'And if he may not hear them, say [it] to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.</span> (Matthew 18:13-17, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Biblical Forgiveness](/codex/biblical-forgiveness/), via [Matthew 18.15-17](/codex/matthew-18-15-17/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 18](/codex/matthew-18/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.