John 20:23

²¹ Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵ The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
KJV: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
WEB: If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
ASV: whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.
DARBY: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.
BLB: If you⁺ might forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you⁺ might retain any, they are retained.”

ÅB: Dersom dere tilgir noen deres synder, da er de tilgitt dem; dersom dere fastholder dem for noen, da er de fastholdt.
OTB: Hvis dere tilgir noen deres synder, er de tilgitt; hvis dere holder tilbake tilgivelse fra noen, er den holdt tilbake.»
B1930: Dersom I forlater nogen deres synder, da er de dem forlatt; dersom I fastholder dem for nogen, da er de fastholdt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 18:18
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Read in context
Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Read in context
Acts 13:38–39
Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Read in context
Mark 2:5–10
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
Read in context
Acts 10:43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Read in context
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 2:6–10
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
Read in context
1 Timothy 1:20
Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Read in context