Mattithyahu (Matthew) 5
5
1But when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain. And when He was seated His taught ones came to Him.
2And having opened His mouth, He was teaching them, saying,
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
4Blessed are those who mourn, because they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, because they shall inherit the earth.# Psa. 37:11#See Psa. 37:9; Psa. 37:11; Psa. 37:22; Psa. 37:29; Psa. 37:34
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,#See Isa. 55:1, 2; Mat. 4:4; John 6:48, 49, 50, 51 because they shall be filled.
7“Blessed are the compassionate, because they shall obtain compassion.
8Blessed are the clean in heart,#See Psa. 24:3, 4 because they shall see Elohim.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called sons of Elohim.
10Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake,#See 1Pe. 3:14 because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
11“Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word against you, for My sake.
12Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men.
14You are the light of the world. It is impossible for a city to be hidden on a mountain.
15“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines to all those in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father who is in the heavens.
17Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.#The Law and the Prophets is a term used for the pre-Messianic Scriptures. I did not come to destroy but to complete.
18For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.#See Luke 16:17
19“Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,#See also Mat. 23:28; Mat. 15:3-9; Mark 7:7-13; John 7:19; Acts 7:53; Rom. 2:23-27; Gal. 6:13 you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.
21“You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ # Exo. 20:13; Deu. 5:17 and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.
22But I say to you that whoever is wroth with his brother without a cause shall be liable to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka!’ shall be liable to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to fire of GĕHinnom.
23“If, then, you bring your gift to the slaughter-place, and there remember that your brother holds whatever against you,
24leave your gift there before the slaughter-place, and go, first make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Be well-minded with your opponent, promptly, while you are on the way with him, lest your opponent deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26“Truly, I say to you, you shall by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
27You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’# Exo. 20:14; Deu. 5:18
28“But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into GĕHinnom.
30“And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into GĕHinnom.
31And it has been said, ‘Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’# Deu. 24:1
32But I say to you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the matter of whoring,#See also Deu. 24:1; Mat. 19:9 makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery.
33“Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to יהוה.’# Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deu. 23:21
34But I say to you, do not swear [vainly]#Shem Toḇ texts include ‘vainly’ = Hebrew: Shaw’. at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s throne;
35nor by the earth, for it is His footstool# Isa. 66:1 nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great Sovereign;# Psa. 48:2
36nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.
37“But let your word ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
38You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’# Exo. 21:24#This was the principle for the judges to follow, while יהושע speaks in the next verse of our personal conduct.
39but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40“And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well.
41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42“Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away.
43You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour# Lev. 19:18 and hate your enemy.’# Hate your enemy was “said,” not “written.”
44“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you,
45so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.# Luke 6:35; Act.14:16, 17
46“For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?
47And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too?
48Therefore, be perfect,# Gen. 17:1; Psa. 119:1; 1John 2:5; Heb. 6:1 as your Father in the heavens is perfect.
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Mattithyahu (Matthew) 5: TS2009
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Copyright© 1993 – 2015 by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR). All rights reserved.
Matthew 5
5
You’re Blessed
1-2When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
Salt and Light
13“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Completing God’s Law
17-18“Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.
19-20“Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.
Murder
21-22“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
23-24“This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.
25-26“Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.
Adultery and Divorce
27-28“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those ogling looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.
29-30“Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.
31-32“Remember the Scripture that says, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights’? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are ‘legal.’ Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you’re responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you’re automatically an adulterer yourself. You can’t use legal cover to mask a moral failure.
Empty Promises
33-37“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Love Your Enemies
38-42“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
43-47“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
48“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.