Matthew 5; Matthew 6; Matthew 7

Matthew 5

1 Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up the Hill. There He seated Himself, and when His disciples came to Him,

2 He proceeded to teach them, and said:

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.

4 "Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted.

5 "Blessed are the meek, for they as heirs shall obtain possession of the earth.

6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely satisfied.

7 "Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion.

8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for it is they who will be recognized as sons of God.

10 "Blessed are those who have borne persecution in the cause of Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.

11 "Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake.

12 Be joyful and triumphant, because your reward is great in the Heavens; for so were the Prophets before you persecuted.

13 "*You* are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become tasteless, in what way can it regain its saltness? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown away and trodden on by the passers by.

14 *You* are the light of the world; a town cannot be hid if built on a hill-top.

15 Nor is a lamp lighted to be put under a bushel, but on the lampstand; and then it gives light to all in the house.

16 Just so let your light shine before all men, in order that they may see your holy lives and may give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.

17 "Do not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion.

18 Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place.

19 Whoever therefore breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to break them, will be called the least in the Kingdom of the Heavens; but whoever practises them and teaches them, he will be acknowledged as great in the Kingdom of the Heavens.

20 For I assure you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will certainly not find entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens.

21 "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, `Thou shalt not commit murder', and whoever commits murder will be answerable to the magistrate.

22 But I say to you that every one who becomes angry with his brother shall be answerable to the magistrate; that whoever says to his brother `Raca,' shall be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and that whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the Gehenna of Fire.

23 If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, you remember that your brother has a grievance against you,

24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go and make friends with your brother first, and then return and proceed to offer your gift.

25 Come to terms without delay with your opponent while you are yet with him on the way to the court; for fear he should obtain judgement from the magistrate against you, and the magistrate should give you in custody to the officer and you be thrown into prison.

26 I solemnly tell you that you will certainly not be released till you have paid the very last farthing.

27 "You have heard that it was said, `Thou shalt not commit adultery.'

28 But I tell you that whoever looks at a woman and cherishes lustful thoughts has already in his heart become guilty with regard to her.

29 If therefore your eye, even the right eye, is a snare to you, tear it out and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should be thrown into Gehenna.

30 And if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should go into Gehenna.

31 "It was also said, `If any man puts away his wife, let him give her a written notice of divorce.'

32 But I tell you that every man who puts away his wife except on the ground of unfaithfulness causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries her when so divorced commits adultery.

33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, `Thou shalt not swear falsely, but shalt perform thy vows to the Lord.'

34 But I tell you not to swear at all; neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne;

35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool under His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the Great King.

36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 But let your language be, `Yes, yes,' or `No, no.' Anything in excess of this comes from the Evil one.

38 "You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.'

39 But I tell you not to resist a wicked man, but if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

40 If any one wishes to go to law with you and to deprive you of your under garment, let him take your outer one also.

41 And whoever shall compel you to convey his goods one mile, go with him two.

42 To him who asks, give: from him who would borrow, turn not away.

43 "You have heard that it was said, `Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.'

44 But I command you all, love your enemies, and pray for your persecutors;

45 that so you may become true sons of your Father in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked as well as the good, and sends rain upon those who do right and those who do wrong.

46 For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

47 And if you salute only your near relatives, what praise is due to you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 You however are to be complete in goodness, as your Heavenly Father is complete.

Matthew 6

1 "But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.

2 `When you give in charity, never blow a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets in order that their praises may be sung by men. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

3 But when you are giving in charity, let not your left hand perceive what your right hand is doing,

4 that your charities may be in secret; and then your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

5 "And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

6 But you, whenever you pray, go into your own room and shut the door: then pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

7 "And when praying, do not use needless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they expect to be listened to because of their multitude of words.

8 Do not, however, imitate them; for your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him.

9 "In this manner therefore pray: `Our Father who art in Heaven, may Thy name be kept holy;

10 let Thy kingdom come; let Thy will be done, as in Heaven so on earth;

11 give us to-day our bread for the day;

12 and forgive us our shortcomings, as we also have forgiven those who have failed in their duty towards us;

13 and bring us not into temptation, but rescue us from the Evil one.'

14 "For if you forgive others their offences, your Heavenly Father will forgive you also;

15 but if you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.

16 "When any of you fast, never assume gloomy looks as the hypocrites do; for they disfigure their faces in order that it may be evident to men that they are fasting. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

17 But, whenever you fast, pour perfume on your hair and wash your face,

18 that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

19 "Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be.

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eyesight is good, your whole body will be well lighted;

23 but if your eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be!

24 "No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.

25 For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?

26 Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they?

27 Which of you by being over-anxious can add a single foot to his height?

28 And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the wild lilies. Watch their growth. They neither toil nor spin,

29 and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these.

30 And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith?

31 Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'

32 For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them.

33 But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition.

34 Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.

Matthew 7

1 "Judge not, that you may not be judged;

2 for your own judgement will be dealt--and your own measure meted--to yourselves.

3 And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?

4 Or how say to your brother, `Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?

5 Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

6 "Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.

7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

8 For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him.

9 What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone?

10 Or if the son shall ask him for a fish will offer him a snake?

11 If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

12 Everything, therefore, be it what it may, that you would have men do to you, do you also the same to them; for in this the Law and the Prophets are summed up.

13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad the road which leads to ruin, and many there are who enter by it;

14 because narrow is the gate and contracted the road which leads to Life, and few are those who find it.

15 "Beware of the false teachers--men who come to you in sheep's fleeces, but beneath that disguise they are ravenous wolves.

16 By their fruits you will easily recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from brambles?

17 Just so every good tree produces good fruit, but a poisonous tree produces bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a poisonous tree good fruit.

19 Every tree which does not yield good fruit is cut down and thrown aside for burning.

20 So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.

21 "Not every one who says to me, `Master, Master,' will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in Heaven.

22 Many will say to me on that day, "`Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many mighty works?'

23 "And then I will tell them plainly, "`I never knew you: begone from me, you doers of wickedness.'

24 "Every one who hears these my teachings and acts upon them will be found to resemble a wise man who builds his house upon rock;

25 and the heavy rain falls, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and beat against the house; yet it does not fall, for its foundation is on rock.

26 And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.

27 The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall."

28 When Jesus had concluded this discourse, the crowds were filled with amazement at His teaching,

29 for He had been teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their Scribes taught.