New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him,
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And Jesus, seeing the people, went up into the hill; and when he was set, his disciples came to him. [+Jesus forsooth, seeing the companies, went up into an hill; and when he had sat, his disciples came nigh to him.]
2 and he began to teach them.
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And he opened his mouth, and taught them, and said [saying],
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
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Blessed be poor men in spirit, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs. [Blessed be the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.]
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
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Blessed be mild men [Blessed mild], for they shall wield the earth.
5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
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Blessed be they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
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Blessed be they that hunger and thirst rightwiseness, for they shall be fulfilled [for they shall be filled].
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
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Blessed be merciful men [Blessed the merciful], for they shall get mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
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Blessed be they that be of clean heart, for they shall see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
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Blessed be peaceable men, for they shall be called God's children. [Blessed the peaceable, for they shall be called the sons of God.]
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
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Blessed be they that suffer persecution for rightwiseness, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs [for the kingdom of heaven is theirs].
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
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Blessed be ye, when men shall curse you, and shall pursue you [and pursue you], and shall say all evil against you lying, for me.
12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
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Joy ye, and be ye glad [full out], for your meed is plenteous in heavens; for so they have pursued the prophets also that were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
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Ye be salt of the earth; that if the salt [shall] vanish away, wherein shall it be salted? To nothing it is worth over, but that it be cast out, and be defouled of men.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
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Ye be [the] light of the world; a city set on an hill may not be hid;
15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
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nor men tendeth a lantern, and putteth it under a bushel [neither men tend a lantern, and put it under a bushel], but on a candlestick, that it give light to all that be in the house.
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
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So shine your light before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heavens.
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
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Do not ye deem, that I came to undo the law, or the prophets; I came not to undo the law, but to fulfill. [+Do not ye guess, or deem, that I came to undo, or destroy, the law, or the prophets; I came not to destroy, or undo, but to fulfill.]
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
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Forsooth I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one letter [one i, that is the least letter,] or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all things be done.
19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Therefore he that breaketh one of these least commandments, and teacheth thus men, shall be called the least in the realm of heavens; but he that doeth, and teacheth, shall be called great in the kingdom of heavens.
20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
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And I say to you, that but your rightwiseness [shall] be more plenteous than of scribes and of Pharisees [+Forsooth I say to you, that but your rightwiseness shall be more plenteous than of scribes and Pharisees], ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heavens.
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
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Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not slay; and he that slayeth, shall be guilty to the doom [shall be guilty of doom].
22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
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But I say to you, that each man that is wroth to his brother, shall be guilty to doom; and he that saith to his brother, Fie! shall be guilty to the council; but he that saith Fool, shall be guilty to the fire of hell. [But I say to you, that ever-each that is wroth to his brother, shall be guilty of doom; forsooth he that shall say to his brother, Raca, that is, a word of scorn, shall be guilty of council; soothly he that shall say, Fool, that is, a word of despising, shall be guilty of the fire of hell.]
23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
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Therefore if thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there thou bethinkest, that thy brother hath somewhat against thee [and there bethinkest, that thy brother hath something against thee],
24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
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leave there thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou shalt come, and shalt offer thy gift.
25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
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Be thou consenting to thine adversary soon, while thou art in the way with him, lest peradventure thine adversary take thee to the doomsman, and the doomsman take thee to the minister [lest peradventure thine adversary take thee to the judge, and the judge take thee to the minister], and thou be sent into prison.
26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
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Truly I say to thee, Thou shalt not go out from thence [Thou shalt not go thence], till thou yield the last farthing.
27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
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Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not do lechery.
28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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But I say to you, that every man that seeth a woman [for] to covet her, hath now done lechery by her in his heart [now he hath done lechery with her in his heart].
29 So if your eye—even your good eye —causes you to lust, 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.
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That if thy right eye cause thee to stumble [That if thy right eye offend thee], pull it out, and cast it from thee; for it speedeth to thee, that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
30 And if your hand—even your stronger 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 be thrown into hell.
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And if thy right hand cause thee to stumble [And if thy right hand offend thee], cut it away, and cast [it] from thee; for it speedeth to thee that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’
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And it hath been said, Whoever leaveth his wife, give he to her a bill of forsaking. [Forsooth it is said, Whoever shall leave his wife, give he to her a libel, that is, a little book of forsaking.]
32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
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But I say to you, that every man that leaveth his wife [that every man that shall leave his wife], except (for) [the] cause of fornication, maketh her to do lechery, and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth adultery.
33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.’
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Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but thou shalt yield thine oaths to the Lord. [Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but to the Lord thou shalt yield thine oaths.]
34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.
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But I say to you, that ye swear not for any thing [Forsooth I say to you, to not swear on all manner]; neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.
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neither by the earth, for it is the stool of his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king [for it is the city of the great king];
36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black.
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neither thou shalt swear by thine head, for thou mayest not make one hair white, or black;
37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
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but be your word, Yea, yea; Nay, nay [but your word be Yea, yea; Nay, nay]; and that that is more than these, is of evil.
38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
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Ye have heard that it hath been said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.
39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
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But I say to you, that ye against-stand not an evil man; but if any smite thee in the right cheek, show to him also the other; [+But I say to you, to not against-stand evil; but if any shall smite thee on the right cheek, give to him also the tother;]
40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
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and to him that will strive with thee in doom, and take away thy coat, leave to him also thy mantle [leave thou to him and thine over-cloth];
41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
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and whoever constraineth thee a thousand paces, go thou with him other twain. [and whoever constrain thee a thousand paces, go thou with him other two.]
42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
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Give thou to him that asketh of thee [Forsooth give to him that asketh of thee], and turn thou not away from him that will borrow of thee.
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
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Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
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But I say to you, love ye your enemies, do ye well to them that hate you, and pray ye for them that pursue, and slander you [and pray ye for men pursuing, and falsely challenging you];
45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
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that ye be the sons of your Father that is in heavens, that maketh his sun to rise upon good men and evil [that maketh his sun to rise on good and on evil men], and raineth on just men and unjust.
46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
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For if ye love them that love you, what meed shall ye have? whether [the] publicans do not this thing?
47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
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And if ye greet your brethren only, what shall ye do more? do not heathen men this? [And if ye greet, or salute, your brethren only, what moreover shall ye do? whether and pagans do not this thing?]
48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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Therefore be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.