The Sermon on the Mount
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 6:20-23)
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Salt and Light
(Philippians 2:12-18)
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Jesus Fulfills the Law
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57-59)
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1-30)
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1-5; Luke 16:18-18)
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Vows
(Numbers 30:1-16)
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17-23; Luke 6:27-36)
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Sermon on the Mount
1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1–6; Luke 6:20–23)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
(Mark 9:49–50; Luke 14:34–35; Philippians 2:12–18)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57–59)
21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. 23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1–30)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ 28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1–5; Luke 16:18)
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ 32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
Oaths and Vows
(Numbers 30:1–16)
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17–23; Luke 6:27–36)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The Sermon on the Mount
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them, saying:
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1–6; Luke 6:20–23)
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. a
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
Salt and Light
(Mark 9:49–50; Luke 14:34–35; Philippians 2:12–18)
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill b cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18 For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57–59)
21 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ c and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother d will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ e will be subject to the Sanhedrin. f But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. g
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. h
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1–30)
27 You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ i 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. j 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 part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1–5; Luke 16:18)
31 It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ k 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. l And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths and Vows
(Numbers 30:1–16)
33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ m 34 But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one. n
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17–23; Luke 6:27–36)
38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ o 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if someone forces you to go one mile, p go with him two miles. q 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ r and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, s 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes:
5 a Or Blessed are those who exercise strength under control, for they will inherit the land ; see Psalm 37:11.
14 b Literally A city lying on a hill
21 c Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17
22 d BYZ and TR include without cause .
22 e Raca is an Aramaic expression of contempt.
22 f Or the Council
22 g Or the hell of fire ; Greek the Gehenna of fire
26 h Greek kodrantēn ; that is, a Roman copper coin worth about 1-64 of a denarius
27 i Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18
29 j Greek Gehenna ; also in verse 30
31 k Deuteronomy 24:1
32 l Or causes her to commit adultery
33 m Numbers 30:2
37 n Or from evil
38 o Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21
41 p Greek one milion ; that is, a Roman mile, approximately 4,855 feet or 1,480 meters
41 q Literally go with him two.
43 r Leviticus 19:18
44 s BYZ and TR love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully accuse you and persecute you ; see Luke 6:27–28.
The Sermon on the Mount
1And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him, 2and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 6:20-23)
3'Happy the poor in spirit -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
4'Happy the mourning -- because they shall be comforted.
5'Happy the meek -- because they shall inherit the land.
6'Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness -- because they shall be filled.
7'Happy the kind -- because they shall find kindness.
8'Happy the clean in heart -- because they shall see God.
9'Happy the peacemakers -- because they shall be called Sons of God.
10'Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
11'Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake -- 12rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
(Philippians 2:12-18)
13'Ye are the salt of the land, but if the salt may lose savour, in what shall it be salted? for nothing is it good henceforth, except to be cast without, and to be trodden down by men.
14'Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a mount is not able to be hid; 15nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all those in the house; 16so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in the heavens.
Jesus Fulfills the Law
17'Do not suppose that I came to throw down the law or the prophets -- I did not come to throw down, but to fulfil; 18for, verily I say to you, till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass. 19Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands -- the least -- and may teach men so, least he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
20'For I say to you, that if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57-59)
21'Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not kill, and whoever may kill shall be in danger of the judgment; 22but I -- I say to you, that every one who is angry at his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, Empty fellow! shall be in danger of the sanhedrim, and whoever may say, Rebel! shall be in danger of the gehenna of the fire. 23'If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, 24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go -- first be reconciled to thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift. 25'Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast, 26verily I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till that thou mayest pay the last farthing.
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1-30)
27'Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery; 28but I -- I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart. 29'But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna. 30'And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1-5; Luke 16:18-18)
31'And it was said, That whoever may put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce; 32but I -- I say to you, that whoever may put away his wife, save for the matter of whoredom, doth make her to commit adultery; and whoever may marry her who hath been put away doth commit adultery.
Vows
(Numbers 30:1-16)
33'Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths; 34but I -- I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king, 36nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black; 37but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17-23; Luke 6:27-36)
38'Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth; 39but I -- I say to you, not to resist the evil, but whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other; 40and whoever is willing to take thee to law, and thy coat to take -- suffer to him also the cloak. 41'And whoever shall impress thee one mile, go with him two, 42to him who is asking of thee be giving, and him who is willing to borrow from thee thou mayest not turn away.
43'Ye heard that it was said: Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and shalt hate thine enemy; 44but I -- I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you, 45that ye may be sons of your Father in the heavens, because His sun He doth cause to rise on evil and good, and He doth send rain on righteous and unrighteous. 46'For, if ye may love those loving you, what reward have ye? do not also the tax-gatherers the same? 47and if ye may salute your brethren only, what do ye abundant? do not also the tax-gatherers so? 48ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.
The Favor of God Paraphrase
The Beatitudes: Blessings of the Kingdom
¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him,
² and He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying:
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted!
⁵ Blessed are the meek and humble, 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 sons and daughters 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 insult you, persecute you, and falsely accuse you of all kinds of evil because of Me!
¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great! For in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Salt and Light: Living as the People of God
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¹⁴ You are the light of the world! A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven!”
Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets
¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them!
¹⁸ For truly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything 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 practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven!”
Teaching on Anger
²¹ “You have heard it said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,’ and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.
²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
²³ Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift.
²⁵ Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny!”
Teaching on Adultery
²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Teaching on Divorce
³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Teaching on Oaths
³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
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 even one hair white or black.
³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Teaching on Retaliation
³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Teaching on Loving Enemies
⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Footnotes:
1.“Poor in spirit” (Greek: πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ptōchoi tō pneumati): This refers to those who recognize their spiritual need and dependency on God, acknowledging their need for His grace and salvation.
2.“Righteousness” (Greek: δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosynē): This term encompasses both justice and moral uprightness, signifying alignment with God’s will and character.
3.“Merciful” (Greek: ἐλεήμονες, eleēmones): Describes those who show compassion and kindness to others, reflecting God’s mercy in their relationships.
4.“Salt of the earth”: In the ancient world, salt was highly valued as a preservative and for flavor. Here, it symbolizes the influence and purity the disciples should bring into the world.
5.“Light of the world”: Light represents truth, knowledge, and guidance in Scripture, and Jesus is calling His followers to be a visible reflection of God’s truth in a dark world.
6.“Fulfill the Law”: Jesus is not abolishing the Law, but fulfilling its true intent—bringing it to its highest expression through His teachings and life.
7.“Fire of hell” (Greek: γέεννα, Gehenna): Refers to the valley of Hinnom, a place outside Jerusalem associated with judgment and punishment, often used as a metaphor for final judgment.
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