Matthew 5:21-48

New American Standard Bible

Personal Relationships

²¹ “^(A)You have heard that ^[a]the ancients were told, ‘^(B)You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to ^(C)the court.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to ^(D)the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘^[b]You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to ^[c](E)the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the ^[d](F)fiery hell. ²³ Therefore, if you are ^(G)presenting your ^[e]offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your ^[f]offering there before the altar and go; first be ^(H)reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your ^[g]offering. ^25 (I)[h]Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I say to you, ^(J)you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last ^[i]quadrans.

²⁷ “^(K)You have heard that it was said, ‘^(L)You shall not commit adultery’; ²⁸ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman ^(M)with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ Now ^(N)if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, ^[j]than for your whole body to be thrown into ^[k](O)hell. ³⁰ And ^(P)if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you ^[l]to lose one of the parts of your body, ^[m]than for your whole body to go into ^[n](Q)hell.

³¹ “Now it was said, ‘^(R)Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; ^32 (S)but I say to you that everyone who ^[o]divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a ^[p]divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, ^(T)you have heard that ^[q]the ancients were told, ‘^[r](U)You shall not ^[s]make false vows, but shall fulfill your ^[t]vows to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(V)take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is ^(W)the throne of God, ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is the ^(X)footstool of His feet, nor ^[u]by Jerusalem, for it is ^(Y)the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But make sure your statement is, ‘^[v]Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is ^[w]of ^(Z)evil origin.

³⁸ “^(AA)You have heard that it was said, ‘^(AB)Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but ^(AC)whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your ^[x]tunic, let him have your ^[y]cloak also. ⁴¹ Whoever ^[z]forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ^42 (AD)Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “^(AE)You have heard that it was said, ‘^(AF)You shall love your neighbor ^(AG)and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, ^(AH)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may prove yourselves to be ^(AI)sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For ^(AJ)if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore ^(AK)you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.