MATTHEW 5
The Beatitudes
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He
was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught
them, saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all
kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly
glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 "You are the salt of the earth; 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"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on
a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven.
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.
I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means
pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19Whoever 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. 20For I say to you, that unless
your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not
murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22But I
say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!'
shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall
be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave
your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Agree with your adversary
quickly, 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.
26Assuredly, 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 to those of old, "You shall not
commit adultery.'
28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her
has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye
causes you to sin, 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. 30And if your right hand causes you to 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
31 "Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let
him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But I say to you that whoever
divorces his wife for any reason except 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 it was said to those of old, "You shall
not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34But I say
to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is
the city of the great King. 36Nor shall you swear by your head, because
you cannot make one hair white or black. 37But let your "Yes' be "Yes,'
and your "No,' "No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile
38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth.' 39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever
slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone
wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him
who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.'
44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you
and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for
He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the
just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward
have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet
your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax
collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father
in heaven is perfect.
MATTHEW 6
The Lord's Prayer
1 "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.
2 Therefore, 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.
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret;
and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the 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. 6But you, when you pray, 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 openly. 7 And when you pray,
do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they
will be heard for their many words.
8"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things
you have need of before you ask Him. 9In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
14"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the 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.
17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so 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 openly.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves
do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good,
your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is 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 "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. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Do Not Worry
25 "Therefore I say to you, 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? 26Look
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?
27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you
that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now
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?' 32For after all these things
the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for
the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 7
Things That Count with God
1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you
judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured
back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but
do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from
your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove
the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother's eye.
6"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
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who
seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there
among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if
he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then, 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! 12Therefore, whatever
you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the
Prophets.
The Narrow Way
13 "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. 14Because
arrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good
tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will
say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23And
then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness!'
Build on the Rock
24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,
I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and 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: 27and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that
house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people
were astonished at His teaching, 29for He taught them as one having authority,
and not as the scribes.