Matthew 5
5
Jesus Teaches the People
1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him, 2and he began to teach them, saying:
3“They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
4They are blessed who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
5They are blessed who are humble,
for the whole earth will be theirs.
6They are blessed who hunger and thirst after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7They are blessed who show mercy to others,
for God will show mercy to them.
8They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
for they will see God.
9They are blessed who work for peace,
for they will be called God’s children.
10They are blessed who are persecuted for doing good,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
11“People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. 12Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.
You Are Like Salt and Light
13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on.
14“You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.15And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. 16In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
The Importance of the Law
17“Don’t think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to bring about what they said. 18I tell you the truth, nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. Not even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will be lost until everything has happened. 19Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the commands and teaches other people to obey them will be great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you that if you are no more obedient than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Teaches About Anger
21“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged.’ 22But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23“So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person, and then come and offer your gift.
25“If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends quickly, before you go to court. Otherwise, your enemy might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to a guard to put you in jail. 26I tell you the truth, you will not leave there until you have paid everything you owe.
Jesus Teaches About Sexual Sin
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not be guilty of adultery.’ 28But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, in his mind he has already done that sin with the woman. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus Teaches About Divorce
31“It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce paper.’ 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife forces her to be guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man. And anyone who marries that divorced woman is guilty of adultery.
Make Promises Carefully
33“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘Don’t break your promises, but keep the promises you make to the Lord.’ 34But I tell you, never swear an oath. Don’t swear an oath using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. 35Don’t swear an oath using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to God. Don’t swear an oath using the name of Jerusalem, because that is the city of the great King. 36Don’t even swear by your own head, because you cannot make one hair on your head become white or black. 37Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no. If you say more than yes or no, it is from the Evil One.
Don’t Fight Back
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I tell you, don’t stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also. 40If someone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles. 42If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t refuse to give to someone who wants to borrow from you.
Love All People
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. 45If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. 46If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. 47And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends. 48So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 5
5
The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes
1 Now when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“sat down”) which is understood as temporal sat down, his disciples approached him. 2And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying,
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are the ones who mourn,
because they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
because they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be satisfied.
7Blessed are the merciful,
because they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
because they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you
when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
The Sermon on the Mount: Salt and Light
13“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“thrown”) has been translated as a finite verb trampled under foot by people. 14You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. 16In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount: The Law and the Prophets Fulfilled
17“Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place. 19Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount: Anger Toward Others
21“You have heard that it was said to the people of old,#Literally “ancients” ‘Do not commit murder,’#A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17 and ‘whoever commits murder will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Stupid fool!’#Greek “Raca,” a term of verbal abuse involving lack of intelligence will be subject to the council, and whoever says, ‘Obstinate fool!’#Perhaps with the idea of obstinate, godless foolishness; some take the word to be a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20) will be subject to fiery hell. 23Therefore if you present your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and first go be reconciled to your brother, and then come and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“come”) has been translated as a finite verb present your gift. 25Settle the case quickly with your accuser#Literally “be making friends quickly with your accuser” while you are with him on the way, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26Truly I say to you, you will never come out of there until you have paid back the last penny!
The Sermon on the Mount: Adultery and Lust
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’#A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell.
The Sermon on the Mount: Divorce
31“And it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’#A quotation from Deut 24:1 32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Sermon on the Mount: Taking Oaths
33“Again you have heard that it was said to the people of old,#Literally “ancients” ‘Do not swear falsely,#Or “do not break your oath” but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’#A quotation from Lev 19:12 34But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. 36And do not swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37But let your statement be ‘Yes, yes; no, no,’ and anything beyond these is from the evil one.#Or “is of evil”
The Sermon on the Mount: Retaliation
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’#A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20 39But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,#Some manuscripts have “your right cheek” turn the other to him also. 40And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him have#Literally “leave to him” your outer garment also. 41And whoever forces you to go one mile,#A Roman mile was originally a thousand paces, but was later fixed at eight stades (1,478.5 meters) go with him two. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
The Sermon on the Mount: Love for Enemies
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’#A quotation from Lev 19:18 and ‘Hate your enemy.’#An allusion to Deut 23:3–6 44But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? 48Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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