The Beatitudes(A)

And seeing the multitudes, (B)He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and (C)taught them, saying:

“Blessed(D) are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(E)Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
(F)Blessed are the meek,
For (G)they shall inherit the [a]earth.
Blessed are those who (H)hunger and thirst for righteousness,
(I)For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
(J)For they shall obtain mercy.
(K)Blessed are the pure in heart,
For (L)they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 (M)Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 (N)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of (O)evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 (P)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for (Q)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Believers Are Salt and Light(R)

13 “You are the salt of the earth; (S)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14 (T)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they (U)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, (V)that they may see your good works and (W)glorify your Father in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law

17 (X)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, (Y)till heaven and earth pass away, one [b]jot or one [c]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 (Z)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds (AA)the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart(AB)

21 “You have heard that it was said to those [d]of old, (AC)‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that (AD)whoever is angry with his brother [e]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, (AE)‘Raca!’[f] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, [g]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of [h]hell fire. 23 Therefore (AF)if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 (AG)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 (AH)Agree with your adversary quickly, (AI)while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Adultery in the Heart

27 “You have heard that it was said [i]to those of old, (AJ)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever (AK)looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (AL)If your right eye causes you to [j]sin, (AM)pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to [k]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding(AN)

31 “Furthermore it has been said, (AO)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that (AP)whoever divorces his wife for any reason except [l]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

33 “Again you have heard that (AQ)it was said to those of [m]old, (AR)‘You shall not swear falsely, but (AS)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AT)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is (AU)God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of (AV)the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 (AW)But let [n]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Go the Second Mile(AX)

38 “You have heard that it was said, (AY)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 (AZ)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. (BA)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever (BB)compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and (BC)from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Love Your Enemies(BD)

43 “You have heard that it was said, (BE)‘You shall love your neighbor (BF)and hate your enemy.’ 44 [o]But I say to you, (BG)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (BH)do good to those who hate you, and pray (BI)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (BJ)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (BK)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [p]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [q]tax collectors do so? 48 (BL)Therefore you shall be perfect, just (BM)as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Do Good to Please God

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, (BN)when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret (BO)will Himself reward you [r]openly.

The Model Prayer(BP)

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the [s]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, (BQ)go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [t]openly. And when you pray, (BR)do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. (BS)For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father (BT)knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this (BU)manner, therefore, pray:

(BV)Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your (BW)name.
10 Your kingdom come.
(BX)Your will be done
On earth (BY)as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our (BZ)daily bread.
12 And (CA)forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 (CB)And do not lead us into temptation,
But (CC)deliver us from the evil one.
[u]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 (CD)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (CE)if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

16 “Moreover, (CF)when you fast, do not be like the [v]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, (CG)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [w]openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven(CH)

19 (CI)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 (CJ)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body(CK)

22 (CL)“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is [x]good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [y]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

24 (CM)“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. (CN)You cannot serve God and [z]mammon.

Do Not Worry(CO)

25 “Therefore I say to you, (CP)do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 (CQ)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [aa]cubit to his [ab]stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [ac]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But (CR)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do Not Judge(CS)

“Judge[ad] (CT)not, that you be not judged. For with what [ae]judgment you judge, you will be judged; (CU)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (CV)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

(CW)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(CX)

(CY)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For (CZ)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (DA)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, (DB)being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, (DC)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (DD)this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way(DE)

13 (DF)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [af]Because narrow is the gate and [ag]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits(DG)

15 (DH)“Beware of false prophets, (DI)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 (DJ)You will know them by their fruits. (DK)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, (DL)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (DM)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You(DN)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, (DO)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who (DP)does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we (DQ)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And (DR)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (DS)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock(DT)

24 “Therefore (DU)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that (DV)the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 (DW)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:5 Or land
  2. Matthew 5:18 Gr. iota, Heb. yod, the smallest letter
  3. Matthew 5:18 The smallest stroke in a Heb. letter
  4. Matthew 5:21 in ancient times
  5. Matthew 5:22 NU omits without a cause
  6. Matthew 5:22 Lit., in Aram., Empty head
  7. Matthew 5:22 Gr. More
  8. Matthew 5:22 Gr. Gehenna
  9. Matthew 5:27 NU, M omit to those of old
  10. Matthew 5:29 Lit. stumble or offend
  11. Matthew 5:30 Lit. stumble or offend
  12. Matthew 5:32 Or fornication
  13. Matthew 5:33 ancient times
  14. Matthew 5:37 Lit. your word be yes yes
  15. Matthew 5:44 NU But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
  16. Matthew 5:47 M friends
  17. Matthew 5:47 NU Gentiles
  18. Matthew 6:4 NU omits openly
  19. Matthew 6:5 pretenders
  20. Matthew 6:6 NU omits openly
  21. Matthew 6:13 NU omits the rest of v. 13.
  22. Matthew 6:16 pretenders
  23. Matthew 6:18 NU, M omit openly
  24. Matthew 6:22 Clear, or healthy
  25. Matthew 6:23 Evil, or unhealthy
  26. Matthew 6:24 Lit., in Aram., riches
  27. Matthew 6:27 About 18 inches
  28. Matthew 6:27 height
  29. Matthew 6:29 dressed
  30. Matthew 7:1 Condemn
  31. Matthew 7:2 Condemnation
  32. Matthew 7:14 NU, M How narrow . . . !
  33. Matthew 7:14 confined

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