²⁰ My brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil be as little children, but in mind be of full growth.

¹⁹ For all have knowledge of how you do what you are ordered. For this reason I have joy in you, but it is my desire that you may be wise in what is good, and without knowledge of evil.

² Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;

¹² And though by this time it would be right for you to be teachers, you still have need of someone to give you teaching about the first simple rules of God's revelation; you have become like babies who have need of milk, and not of solid food.

¹³ For everyone who takes milk is without experience of the word of righteousness: he is a child.

³ And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven.

⁹⁹ I have more knowledge than all my teachers, because I give thought to your unchanging word.

¹⁸ But be increased in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May he have glory now and for ever. So be it.

¹⁵ Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:

⁶ But still we have wisdom for those who are complete in knowledge, though not the wisdom of this world, and not of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing:

¹ For this reason let us go on from the first things about Christ to full growth; not building again that on which it is based, that is, the turning of the heart from dead works, and faith in God,

² The teaching of baptisms, and of the putting on of hands, and of the future life of the dead, and of the judging on the last day.

³ Now we will do this, if God lets us.

⁹ And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;

¹⁴ So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;

¹⁵ But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;

¹¹ When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.

¹ And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.

² I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;

¹⁵ Truly I say to you, Whoever does not put himself under the kingdom of God like a little child, will not come into it at all.

⁴ And he said in answer, Have you not seen in the Writings, that he who made them at the first made them male and female, and said,

²⁵ At that time Jesus made answer and said, I give praise to you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have kept these things secret from the wise and the men of learning, and have made them clear to little children.

³ And he will not be guided in his judging by what he sees, or give decisions by the hearing of his ears:

¹ <A Song of the going up. Of David.> Lord, there is no pride in my heart and my eyes are not lifted up; and I have not taken part in great undertakings, or in things over-hard for me.

² See, I have made my soul calm and quiet, like a child on its mother's breast; my soul is like a child on its mother's breast.