Chapter
5
The Beginning
of the Sermon on the Mount
1: When Jesus saw the
crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to
him.
2: Then he began to speak, and
taught them, saying:
The
Beatitudes
3: "Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4: "Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
5: "Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6: "Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7: "Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘
8: "Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they will see God.
9: "Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10:
"Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
11:
"Blessed
are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account.
12:
Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
The Salt of the Earth
13:
"You
are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its
saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and
trampled underfoot.
The Light of the World
14:
"You
are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
15:
No
one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the
lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16: In the same way, let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father in heaven.
Jesus' Attitude toward the
Law
17:
"Do
not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not
to abolish but to fulfill.
18:
For
truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one
stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
19:
Therefore,
whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do
the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them
and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20:
For
I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus' Attitude toward Anger
21:
"You
have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not
murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.'
22:
But
I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable
to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the
council; and if you say, "You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of
fire.
23:
So
when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother
or sister has something against you,
24: leave your gift there
before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and
then come and offer your gift.
25:
Come
to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him,
or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and
you will be thrown into prison.
26:
Truly
I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Jesus' Attitude toward
Adultery
27:
"You
have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery.'
28:
But
I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.
29:
If
your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better
for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into
hell.
30:
And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is
better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into
hell.
Jesus' Attitude toward
Divorce
31:
"It
was also said, "whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate
of divorce.'
32:
But
I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of
unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman
commits adultery.
Jesus' Attitude toward Oaths
33:
"Again,
you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not
swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.'
34:
But
I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of
God,
35:
or
by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the great King.
36:
And
do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37:
Let
your word be "Yes, Yes' or "No, No'; anything more than this comes
from the evil one.
Love for Enemies
38:
"You
have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.'
39:
But
I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn the other also;
40: and if anyone wants
to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;
41:
and
if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.
42:
Give
to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow
from you.
43:
"You
have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.'
44:
But
I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45:
so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun
rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the
unrighteous.
46:
For
if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same?
47:
And
if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48:
Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Chapter
6
Jesus' Teaching on Almsgiving
1: "Beware of
practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you
have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2: "So whenever you give
alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward.
3: But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4: so that your alms may be
done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
5: "And whenever you
pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly
I tell you, they have received their reward.
6:
But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your
Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you.
7: "When you are praying,
do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will
be heard because of their many words.
8: Do not be like them, for
your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9: "Pray then in this
way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10:
Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11:
Give
us this day our daily bread.
12: And forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors.
13:
And
do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
14:
For
if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you;
15:
but
if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus' Teaching on Fasting
16:
"And
whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure
their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward.
17:
But
when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18:
so
that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Treasure in Heaven
19:
"Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and
where thieves break in and steal;
20:
but
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21:
For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Light of the Body
22:
"The
eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will
be full of light;
23:
but
if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the
light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
God and Mammon
24:
"No
one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the
other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
wealth.
Care and Anxiety
25:
"Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and
the body more than clothing?
26: Look at the birds of
the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27:
And
can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
28:
And
why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow; they neither toil nor spin,
29:
yet
I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
30:
But
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-you of little
faith?
31:
Therefore
do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?' or "What will we drink?' or
"What will we wear?'
32:
For
it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly
Father knows that you need all these things.
33:
But
strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well.
34:
"So
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today's trouble is enough for today.
Chapter
7
Judging Others
1: "Do not judge,
so that you may not be judged.
2: For with the judgment you
make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you
get.
3: Why do you see the speck in
your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?
4: Or how can you say to your
neighbor, "Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in
your own eye?
5: You hypocrite, first take
the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck
out of your neighbor's eye.
6: "Do not give what is
holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them
under foot and turn and maul you.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7: "Ask, and it will be
given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for
you.
8: For everyone who asks
receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened.
9: Is there anyone among you
who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?
10:
Or
if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?
11:
If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12:
"In
everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law
and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13:
"Enter
through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads
to destruction, and there are many who take it.
14:
For
the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few
who find it.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
15:
"Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are
ravenous wolves.
16:
You
will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from
thistles?
17:
In
the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad
fruit.
18: A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19:
Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20:
Thus
you will know them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21:
"Not
everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22:
On
that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your
name?'
23:
Then
I will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me, you
evildoers.'
The Two Foundations
24:
"Everyone
then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who
built his house on rock.
25:
The
rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it
did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.
26:
And
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a
foolish man who built his house on sand.
27: The rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-and
great was its fall!"
28:
Now
when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his
teaching,
29:
for
he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
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