Matthew 5:12-22

12 ¹Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for ²so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, ³but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 ⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 ⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ⁶that^[a] they may see your good works and ⁷give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

17 ⁸“Do not think that I have come to abolish ⁹the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ¹⁰to fulfill them.

18 For truly, I say to you, ¹¹until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 ¹²Therefore whoever relaxes ¹³one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ¹⁴in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ¹⁵in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ¹⁶that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ¹⁷will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

21 ¹⁸“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ¹⁹‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable ²⁰to judgment. ’

22 But I say to you that ²¹everyone who is angry with his brother^[b] will be liable ²²to judgment; whoever insults^[c] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ will be liable to ²³the hell^[d] of fire.

Cross References

• 1. 5:12 Acts 5:41; Rom. 5:3; 2 Cor. 12:10; Col. 1:11, 24; Heb. 10:34; James 1:2; 1 Pet. 4:13
• 2. 5:12 See ch. 21:35
• 3. 5:13 Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34
• 4. 5:14 Eph. 5:8; Phil. 2:15; [John 8:12]
• 5. 5:15 Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33
• 6. 5:16 Philem. 6; 1 Pet. 2:12
• 7. 5:16 John 15:8; 2 Cor. 9:13; Phil. 1:11; [ch. 9:8]
• 8. 5:17 Rom. 3:31
• 9. 5:17 ch. 7:12
• 10. 5:17 [Rom. 10:4; 13:8; Gal. 3:24]
• 11. 5:18 Luke 16:17; [ch. 24:35]
• 12. 5:19 [1 Cor. 3:12-15]
• 13. 5:19 [Gal. 3:10; James 2:10]
• 14. 5:19 ch. 11:11; 18:1-4
• 15. 5:19 ch. 11:11; 18:1-4
• 16. 5:20 [Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9]
• 17. 5:20 John 3:5
• 18. 5:21 ver. 33; [ver. 27, 31, 38, 43]
• 19. 5:21 Cited from Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17; [ch. 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11]
• 20. 5:21 [Deut. 16:18]
• 21. 5:22 1 John 3:15
• 22. 5:22 [See ver. 21 above]
• 23. 5:22 ch. 18:9; Mark 9:43; James 3:6; [ver. 29]

Footnotes

• [a] 5:16 Or 'house. '16'Let your light so shine before others that'
• [b] 5:22 Some manuscripts insert 'without cause'
• [c] 5:22 Greek 'says Raca to' (a term of abuse)
• [d] 5:22 Greek 'Gehenna'; also verses 29, 30