Matthew 5:13-23

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, ¹but 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 ²“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 ³Nor 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 ⁴that^[a] they may see your good works and ⁵give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

17 ⁶“Do not think that I have come to abolish ⁷the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ⁸to fulfill them.

18 For truly, I say to you, ⁹until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 ¹⁰Therefore whoever relaxes ¹¹one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ¹²in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ¹³in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ¹⁴that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ¹⁵will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

21 ¹⁶“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ¹⁷‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable ¹⁸to judgment. ’

22 But I say to you that ¹⁹everyone who is angry with his brother^[b] will be liable ²⁰to judgment; whoever insults^[c] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ will be liable to ²¹the hell^[d] of fire.

23 ²²So if ²³you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Cross References

• 1. 5:13 Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34
• 2. 5:14 Eph. 5:8; Phil. 2:15; [John 8:12]
• 3. 5:15 Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33
• 4. 5:16 Philem. 6; 1 Pet. 2:12
• 5. 5:16 John 15:8; 2 Cor. 9:13; Phil. 1:11; [ch. 9:8]
• 6. 5:17 Rom. 3:31
• 7. 5:17 ch. 7:12
• 8. 5:17 [Rom. 10:4; 13:8; Gal. 3:24]
• 9. 5:18 Luke 16:17; [ch. 24:35]
• 10. 5:19 [1 Cor. 3:12-15]
• 11. 5:19 [Gal. 3:10; James 2:10]
• 12. 5:19 ch. 11:11; 18:1-4
• 13. 5:19 ch. 11:11; 18:1-4
• 14. 5:20 [Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9]
• 15. 5:20 John 3:5
• 16. 5:21 ver. 33; [ver. 27, 31, 38, 43]
• 17. 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]
• 18. 5:21 [Deut. 16:18]
• 19. 5:22 1 John 3:15
• 20. 5:22 [See ver. 21 above]
• 21. 5:22 ch. 18:9; Mark 9:43; James 3:6; [ver. 29]
• 22. 5:23 [ch. 6:15; Mark 11:25]
• 23. 5:23 ch. 8:4; 23:18

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