The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

(A)When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on (B)the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. (C)He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

[b](D)Blessed are the [c]poor in spirit, for (E)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are (F)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are (G)the [d]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are (H)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are (I)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are (J)the pure in heart, for (K)they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for (L)they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been (M)persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for (N)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people (O)insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for (P)in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but (Q)if the salt has become tasteless, how [e]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are (R)the light of the world. A city set on a [f]hill cannot be hidden; 15 (S)nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [g]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may (T)see your good works, and (U)glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the (V)Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, (W)until heaven and earth pass away, not [h]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [i]others to do the same, shall be called least (X)in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever [j]keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 “For I say to you that unless your (Y)righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Personal Relationships

21 (Z)You have heard that [k]the ancients were told, ‘(AA)You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be [l]liable to (AB)the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be [m]guilty before (AC)the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘[n]You good-for-nothing,’ shall be [o]guilty before [p](AD)the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be [q]guilty enough to go into the [r](AE)fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you are (AF)presenting your [s]offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [t]offering there before the altar and go; first be (AG)reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [u]offering. 25 (AH)Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, (AI)you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last [v]cent.

27 (AJ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(AK)You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman (AL)with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (AM)If your right eye makes you [w]stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you [x]to lose one of the parts of your body, [y]than for your whole body to be thrown into [z](AN)hell. 30 (AO)If your right hand makes you [aa]stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you [ab]to lose one of the parts of your body, [ac]than for your whole body to go into [ad](AP)hell.

31 “It was said, ‘(AQ)Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 (AR)but I say to you that everyone who [ae]divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [af]divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, (AS)you have heard that [ag]the ancients were told, ‘[ah](AT)You shall not [ai]make false vows, but shall fulfill your [aj]vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AU)make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is (AV)the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the (AW)footstool of His feet, or [ak]by Jerusalem, for it is (AX)the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [al]of (AY)evil.

38 (AZ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BA)An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but (BB)whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take your [am]shirt, let him have your [an]coat also. 41 Whoever [ao]forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 (BC)Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 (BD)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BE)You shall love your neighbor (BF)and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (BG)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [ap]be (BH)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 (BI)if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore [aq](BJ)you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men (BK)to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

“So when you [ar]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they (BL)may be honored by men. (BM)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you [as]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your [at]giving will be in secret; and (BN)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to (BO)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [au](BP)so that they may be seen by men. (BQ)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, (BR)go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and (BS)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their (BT)many words. So do not be like them; for (BU)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

(BV)Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 (BW)Your kingdom come.
(BX)Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 (BY)Give us this day [av]our daily bread.
12 ‘And (BZ)forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but (CA)deliver us from [aw](CB)evil. [ax][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

14 (CC)For if you forgive [ay]others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (CD)if you do not forgive [az]others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

16 (CE)Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [ba]neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. (CF)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, (CG)anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your (CH)Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

19 (CI)Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves (CJ)treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for (CK)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 (CL)The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [bb]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if (CM)your eye is [bc]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 (CN)No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [bd](CO)wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25 (CP)For this reason I say to you, [be]do not be (CQ)worried about your [bf]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 (CR)Look at the birds of the [bg]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being (CS)worried can (CT)add a single [bh]hour to his [bi]life? 28 And why are you (CU)worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even (CV)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the (CW)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? (CX)You of little faith! 31 Do not (CY)worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for (CZ)your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [bj]seek first [bk]His kingdom and His righteousness, and (DA)all these things will be [bl]added to you.

34 “So do not (DB)worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [bm]care for itself. [bn]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Judging Others

(DC)Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [bo](DD)by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you (DE)look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (DF)Or how [bp]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

(DG)Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Prayer and the Golden Rule

[bq](DH)Ask, and (DI)it will be given to you; [br]seek, and you will find; [bs]knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you [bt]who, when his son asks for a loaf, [bu]will give him a stone? 10 Or [bv]if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, (DJ)how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

12 “In everything, (DK)therefore, [bw]treat people the same way you want [bx]them to treat you, for (DL)this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 (DM)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of the (DN)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are (DO)ravenous wolves. 16 You will [by](DP)know them by their fruits. [bz]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So (DQ)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 (DR)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [ca]know them (DS)by their fruits.

21 (DT)Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 (DU)Many will say to Me on (DV)that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [cb]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (DW)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore (DX)everyone who hears these words of Mine and [cc]acts on them, [cd]may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the [ce]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not [cf]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the [cg]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

28 [ch](DY)When Jesus had finished these words, (DZ)the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:1 Or hill
  2. Matthew 5:3 I.e. fortunate or prosperous, and so through v 11
  3. Matthew 5:3 I.e. those who are not spiritually arrogant
  4. Matthew 5:5 Or humble, meek
  5. Matthew 5:13 Lit will
  6. Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
  7. Matthew 5:15 Or peck-measure
  8. Matthew 5:18 Lit one iota (Heb yodh) or one projection of a letter (serif)
  9. Matthew 5:19 Gr anthropoi
  10. Matthew 5:19 Lit does
  11. Matthew 5:21 Lit it was said to the ancients
  12. Matthew 5:21 Or guilty before
  13. Matthew 5:22 Or liable to
  14. Matthew 5:22 Or empty-head; Gr Raka (Raca) fr Aram reqa
  15. Matthew 5:22 Or liable to
  16. Matthew 5:22 Lit the Sanhedrin
  17. Matthew 5:22 Or liable to
  18. Matthew 5:22 Lit Gehenna of fire
  19. Matthew 5:23 Or gift
  20. Matthew 5:24 Or gift
  21. Matthew 5:24 Or gift
  22. Matthew 5:26 Lit quadrans (equaling two mites); i.e. 1/64 of a daily wage
  23. Matthew 5:29 I.e. sin
  24. Matthew 5:29 Lit that one...be lost
  25. Matthew 5:29 Lit not your whole body
  26. Matthew 5:29 Gr Gehenna
  27. Matthew 5:30 I.e. sin
  28. Matthew 5:30 Lit that one...be lost
  29. Matthew 5:30 Lit not your whole body
  30. Matthew 5:30 Gr Gehenna
  31. Matthew 5:32 Or sends away
  32. Matthew 5:32 Or sent away
  33. Matthew 5:33 Lit it was said to the ancients
  34. Matthew 5:33 you and your are singular here
  35. Matthew 5:33 Or break your vows
  36. Matthew 5:33 Lit oaths
  37. Matthew 5:35 Or toward
  38. Matthew 5:37 Or from the evil one
  39. Matthew 5:40 Lit tunic; i.e. a garment worn next to the body
  40. Matthew 5:40 Lit cloak; i.e. an outer garment
  41. Matthew 5:41 Lit will force
  42. Matthew 5:45 Or show yourselves to be
  43. Matthew 5:48 Lit you shall be
  44. Matthew 6:2 Or give alms
  45. Matthew 6:3 Or give alms
  46. Matthew 6:4 Or alms
  47. Matthew 6:5 Lit to be apparent to men
  48. Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
  49. Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one
  50. Matthew 6:13 This clause not found in early mss
  51. Matthew 6:14 Gr anthropoi
  52. Matthew 6:15 Gr anthropoi
  53. Matthew 6:16 Lit distort their faces, i.e. discolor their faces with makeup
  54. Matthew 6:22 Or healthy; or sincere
  55. Matthew 6:23 Or evil
  56. Matthew 6:24 Gr mamonas, for Aram mamon (mammon); i.e. wealth, etc., personified as an object of worship
  57. Matthew 6:25 Or stop being worried
  58. Matthew 6:25 Lit soul
  59. Matthew 6:26 Lit heaven
  60. Matthew 6:27 Lit cubit (approx 18 in.)
  61. Matthew 6:27 Or height
  62. Matthew 6:33 Or continually seek
  63. Matthew 6:33 Or the kingdom
  64. Matthew 6:33 Or provided
  65. Matthew 6:34 Lit worry about itself
  66. Matthew 6:34 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evils
  67. Matthew 7:2 Lit by what measure you measure
  68. Matthew 7:4 Lit will
  69. Matthew 7:7 Or Keep asking
  70. Matthew 7:7 Or keep seeking
  71. Matthew 7:7 Or keep knocking
  72. Matthew 7:9 Lit whom his son will ask
  73. Matthew 7:9 Lit he will not give him a stone, will he?
  74. Matthew 7:10 Lit also will ask
  75. Matthew 7:12 Lit you, too, do so for them
  76. Matthew 7:12 Lit people; Gr anthropoi
  77. Matthew 7:16 Or recognize
  78. Matthew 7:16 Lit They do not gather
  79. Matthew 7:20 Or recognize
  80. Matthew 7:22 Or works of power
  81. Matthew 7:24 Lit does
  82. Matthew 7:24 Lit will
  83. Matthew 7:25 Lit rivers
  84. Matthew 7:26 Lit do
  85. Matthew 7:27 Lit rivers
  86. Matthew 7:28 Lit And it happened when

The Beatitudes

20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, (A)Blessed are [a]you who are poor, for (B)yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are [b]you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 (C)Blessed are you when men hate you, and (D)ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad in that day and (E)leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For (F)in the same way their fathers used to [c]treat the prophets. 24 But woe to (G)you who are rich, for (H)you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 Woe to you who [d]are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to [e]treat the (I)false prophets in the same way.

27 “But I say to you who hear, (J)love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, (K)pray for those who [f]mistreat you. 29 (L)Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your [g]coat, do not withhold your [h]shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 [i](M)Treat others the same way you want [j]them to treat you. 32 (N)If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 (O)If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But (P)love your enemies, and do good, and lend, [k]expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be (Q)sons of (R)the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 [l]Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 (S)Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; [m](T)pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will [n]pour (U)into your lap a (V)good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

39 And He also spoke a parable to them: (W)A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 (X)A [o]pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will [p]be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 (Y)For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, [q]on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 (Z)For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 (AA)The good man out of the good [r]treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; (AB)for his mouth speaks from [s]that which fills his heart.

Builders and Foundations

46 (AC)Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 (AD)Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and [t]acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who [u]dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the [v]torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the [w]torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:20 Lit the
  2. Luke 6:21 Lit the
  3. Luke 6:23 Lit do to
  4. Luke 6:25 Lit having been filled
  5. Luke 6:26 Lit do to
  6. Luke 6:28 Or revile
  7. Luke 6:29 I.e. outer garment
  8. Luke 6:29 Or tunic; i.e. garment worn next to body
  9. Luke 6:31 Lit Do to
  10. Luke 6:31 Lit people
  11. Luke 6:35 Or not despairing at all
  12. Luke 6:36 Or Become
  13. Luke 6:37 Lit release
  14. Luke 6:38 Lit give
  15. Luke 6:40 Or disciple
  16. Luke 6:40 Or reach his teacher’s level
  17. Luke 6:43 Lit again
  18. Luke 6:45 Or treasury, storehouse
  19. Luke 6:45 Lit the abundance of
  20. Luke 6:47 Lit does
  21. Luke 6:48 Lit dug and went deep
  22. Luke 6:48 Lit river
  23. Luke 6:49 Lit river