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1 Samuel 20-21
New American Standard Bible

David and Jonathan’s Covenant

20 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and he came and (A)said [a]to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2 He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die! Behold, my father does nothing either great or small [b]without informing me. So why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” 3 Yet David (B)vowed again, [c]saying, “Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.’ But indeed (C)as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is [d]just a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever [e]you say, I will do for you.” 5 So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is (D)the new moon, and I am obligated (E)to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go (F)so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly requested leave of me to run to (G)Bethlehem, his city, because it is (H)the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’ 7 If he [f]says, ‘That is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, (I)be aware that he has decided on evil. 8 So deal kindly with your servant, for (J)you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But (K)if [g]I am guilty of wrongdoing, kill me yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?” 9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I in fact learn that my father has decided [h]to inflict harm on you, would I not inform you?” 10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will inform me [i]if your father answers you harshly?” 11 Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let’s go out to the field.” So both of them went out to the field.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, is my witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if he has a good feeling toward [j]you, shall I not then send word to you and [k]inform you? 13 If it pleases my father to do you harm, (L)may the Lord do so to [l]me and more so, if I fail to [m]inform you and send you away, so that you may go in safety. And (M)may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. 14 And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the Lord, so that I do not die? 15 And (N)you shall never cut off your loyalty to my house, not even when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “(O)May the Lord demand it from the hands of David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because (P)he loved him as he loved his own life.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “(Q)Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed since your seat will be empty. 19 When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain beside the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 21 Then behold, I will send the boy, telling him, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come, because it is safe for you and there is nothing to harm you, as the Lord lives. 22 But if I [n]say to the youth, ‘(R)Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23 (S)As for the [o]agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, (T)the Lord is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25 Now the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side; but (U)David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, “It must have been an [p]accident; (V)he is not clean, undoubtedly he is not clean.” 27 But it came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty again; so Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, “(W)David earnestly requested leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has ordered me to attend. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me slip away so that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For, [q]as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now then, send men and bring him to me, for (X)he is [r]doomed to die!” 32 But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, “(Y)Why must he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then (Z)Saul hurled his spear at him to strike and kill him; (AA)so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 34 Then Jonathan got up from the table in the heat of anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, because he was worried about David since his father had insulted him.

35 Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time agreed upon with David, and a little boy was with him. 36 He said to his boy, “(AB)Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” The boy ran, and he shot [s]an arrow past him. 37 When the boy reached the location of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “(AC)Is the arrow not beyond you?” 38 Then Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and came to his master. 39 But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” 41 When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and (AD)bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, until (AE)David wept immeasurably. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, “(AF)Go [t]in safety, since we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘(AG)The Lord will be between me and you, and between my [u]descendants and your [v]descendants forever.’” [w]So David set out and went on his way, while Jonathan went into the city.

David Takes Consecrated Bread

21 Then David came to (AH)Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech (AI)came trembling to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, ‘(AJ)No one is to know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’ 3 Now then, what [x]do you have on hand? Give [y]me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” 4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread [z]on hand, but there is (AK)consecrated bread, if only the young men have (AL)kept themselves from women.” 5 David answered the priest and said to him, “(AM)Be assured, women have been denied to us as previously when I left and the [aa](AN)bodies of the young men were consecrated, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then will [ab]their bodies be consecrated today?” 6 So (AO)the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there except the (AP)bread of the Presence which was removed from its place before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day it was taken away.

7 Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was (AQ)Doeg the Edomite, the (AR)chief of Saul’s shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there no spear or sword [ac]on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons [ad]with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.” 9 Then the priest said, “(AS)The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you [ae]killed (AT)in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

10 Then David set out and fled that day from Saul, and went to (AU)Achish king of Gath. 11 But the (AV)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? (AW)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

12 David (AX)took these words [af]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. 13 So he (AY)disguised his sanity while in their sight and acted insanely in their [ag]custody, and he scribbled on the doors of the gate, and drooled on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack insane people, that you have brought this one to behave like an insane person in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:1 Lit before
  2. 1 Samuel 20:2 Lit and he does not uncover my ear
  3. 1 Samuel 20:3 Lit and said
  4. 1 Samuel 20:3 Lit about
  5. 1 Samuel 20:4 Lit your soul says
  6. 1 Samuel 20:7 Lit says thus
  7. 1 Samuel 20:8 Lit guilt exists in me
  8. 1 Samuel 20:9 Lit evil to come on
  9. 1 Samuel 20:10 As in ancient versions; MT or what your father
  10. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit David
  11. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit uncover your ear
  12. 1 Samuel 20:13 Lit Jonathan
  13. 1 Samuel 20:13 Lit uncover your ear
  14. 1 Samuel 20:22 Lit say thus
  15. 1 Samuel 20:23 Lit word
  16. 1 Samuel 20:26 I.e., accident of ritual pollution
  17. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit all the days which
  18. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit a son of death
  19. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit the
  20. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit to peace
  21. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit seed
  22. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit seed
  23. 1 Samuel 20:42 Ch 21:1 in Heb
  24. 1 Samuel 21:3 Lit is there under your hand?
  25. 1 Samuel 21:3 Lit into my hand
  26. 1 Samuel 21:4 Lit under my hand
  27. 1 Samuel 21:5 Lit vessels
  28. 1 Samuel 21:5 Lit it be holy in the vessel
  29. 1 Samuel 21:8 Lit under your hand
  30. 1 Samuel 21:8 Lit in my hand
  31. 1 Samuel 21:9 Lit struck
  32. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his
  33. 1 Samuel 21:13 Lit hand
Listen to 1 Samuel 20-21, Psalm 34, Matthew 5
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1 Samuel 20-21
New International Version

David and Jonathan

20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged(A) your father, that he is trying to kill me?”(B)

2 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

3 But David took an oath(C) and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

5 So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,(D) and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide(E) in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission(F) to hurry to Bethlehem,(G) his hometown, because an annual(H) sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7 If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,(I) you can be sure that he is determined(J) to harm me. 8 As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant(K) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill(L) me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

9 “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

10 David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

11 “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound(M) out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,(N) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with(O) you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness(P) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15 and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family(Q)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

16 So Jonathan(R) made a covenant(S) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.(T)” 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath(U) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.(V) 19 The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid(W) when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows(X) to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond(Y) you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23 And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness(Z) between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast(AA) came, the king sat down to eat. 25 He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,[a] and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.(AB) 26 Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.(AC)” 27 But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

28 Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission(AD) to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice(AE) in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom(AF) will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

32 “Why(AG) should he be put to death? What(AH) has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended(AI) to kill David.

34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond(AJ) you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground.(AK) Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace,(AL) for we have sworn friendship(AM) with each other in the name of the Lord,(AN) saying, ‘The Lord is witness(AO) between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.(AP)’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[b]

David at Nob

21 [c]David went to Nob,(AQ) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled(AR) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

4 But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread(AS) on hand; however, there is some consecrated(AT) bread here—provided the men have kept(AU) themselves from women.”

5 David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual(AV) whenever[d] I set out. The men’s bodies are holy(AW) even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread,(AX) since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

7 Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg(AY) the Edomite,(AZ) Saul’s chief shepherd.

8 David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

9 The priest replied, “The sword(BA) of Goliath(BB) the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah,(BC) is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”

David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David at Gath

10 That day David fled from Saul and went(BD) to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”(BE)

12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane(BF) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:25 Septuagint; Hebrew wall. Jonathan arose
  2. 1 Samuel 20:42 In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.
  3. 1 Samuel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-15 is numbered 21:2-16.
  4. 1 Samuel 21:5 Or from us in the past few days since
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1 Samuel 22
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Psalm 34
New American Standard Bible

The Lord, a Provider and the One Who Rescues Me.

A Psalm of David, when he pretended to be insane before [a]Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

34 I will (A)bless the Lord at all times;
His (B)praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will (C)make its boast in the Lord;
The (D)humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 (E)Exalt the Lord with me,
And let’s (F)exalt His name together.

4 I (G)sought the Lord and He answered me,
And (H)rescued me from all my fears.
5 They (I)looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will (J)never be ashamed.
6 This wretched man cried out, and (K)the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The (L)angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

8 (M)Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How (N)blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 Fear the Lord, you (O)His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is (P)no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord will (Q)not lack any good thing.
11 (R)Come, you children, listen to me;
(S)I will teach you (T)the fear of the Lord.
12 (U)Who is the person who desires life
And loves length of days, that he may (V)see good?
13 Keep (W)your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking (X)deceit.
14 (Y)Turn from evil and do good;
Seek peace and (Z)pursue it.

15 The (AA)eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The (AB)face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To (AC)eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous (AD)cry out, and the Lord hears
And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord (AE)is near to the (AF)brokenhearted
And saves those who are [b](AG)crushed in spirit.

19 (AH)The (AI)afflictions of the righteous are many,
But the Lord (AJ)rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
(AK)Not one of them is broken.
21 (AL)Evil will bring death to the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord (AM)redeems the souls of His servants,
And none of those who (AN)take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34 Title Possibly a title of King Achish of Gath, see 1 Sam 21:10-15
  2. Psalm 34:18 Or contrite
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Psalm 34
New International Version

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
3 Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
    let us exalt(F) his name together.

4 I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
7 The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers(M) them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
9 Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
    I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
    seek peace(Z) and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
    and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
    to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(AJ)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.(AL)

21 Evil will slay the wicked;(AM)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(AN) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge(AO) in him will be condemned.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
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Psalm 33
Psalm 35
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Matthew 5
New American Standard Bible

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 (A)Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on (B)the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And (C)He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3 “[b](D)Blessed are the poor in spirit, for (E)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are (F)those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are (G)the [c]gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are (H)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are (I)the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are (J)the pure in heart, for (K)they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for (L)they will be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been (M)persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for (N)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people (O)insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for (P)in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but (Q)if the salt has become tasteless, how [d]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.

14 “You are (R)the light of the world. A city set on a [e]hill cannot be hidden; 15 (S)nor do people light a lamp and put it under a [f]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may (T)see your good works, and (U)glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the (V)Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, (W)until heaven and earth pass away, not [g]the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! 19 Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [h]others to do the same, shall be called least (X)in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever [i]keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 “For I say to you that unless your (Y)righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Personal Relationships

21 “(Z)You have heard that [j]the ancients were told, ‘(AA)You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to (AB)the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to (AC)the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘[k]You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to [l](AD)the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the [m](AE)fiery hell. 23 Therefore, if you are (AF)presenting your [n]offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [o]offering there before the altar and go; first be (AG)reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [p]offering. 25 (AH)[q]Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, (AI)you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last [r]quadrans.

27 “(AJ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(AK)You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman (AL)with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 Now (AM)if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, [s]than for your whole body to be thrown into [t](AN)hell. 30 And (AO)if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you [u]to lose one of the parts of your body, [v]than for your whole body to go into [w](AP)hell.

31 “Now it was said, ‘(AQ)Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 (AR)but I say to you that everyone who [x]divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [y]divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, (AS)you have heard that [z]the ancients were told, ‘[aa](AT)You shall not [ab]make false vows, but shall fulfill your [ac]vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AU)take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is (AV)the throne of God, 35 nor by the earth, for it is the (AW)footstool of His feet, nor [ad]by Jerusalem, for it is (AX)the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But make sure your statement is, ‘[ae]Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [af]of (AY)evil origin.

38 “(AZ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BA)Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but (BB)whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your [ag]tunic, let him have your [ah]cloak also. 41 Whoever [ai]forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 (BC)Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 “(BD)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BE)You shall love your neighbor (BF)and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (BG)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be (BH)sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For (BI)if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48 Therefore (BJ)you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:1 Or hill
  2. Matthew 5:3 I.e., fortunate or prosperous, and so through v 11
  3. Matthew 5:5 Or humble, meek
  4. Matthew 5:13 Lit will
  5. Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
  6. Matthew 5:15 Lit peck-measure
  7. Matthew 5:18 Lit one iota (Heb yodh) or one projection (serif)
  8. Matthew 5:19 Lit people
  9. Matthew 5:19 Lit does
  10. Matthew 5:21 Lit it was said to the ancients
  11. Matthew 5:22 Or You empty-head; Gr Raka (Raca) from Aramaic reqa
  12. Matthew 5:22 Lit the Sanhedrin; i.e., Jewish High Court
  13. Matthew 5:22 Lit Gehenna of fire
  14. Matthew 5:23 Or gift
  15. Matthew 5:24 Or gift
  16. Matthew 5:24 Or gift
  17. Matthew 5:25 I.e., settle the case
  18. Matthew 5:26 A small Roman copper coin, worth about 1/64 of a laborer’s daily wage
  19. Matthew 5:29 Lit and that your whole body not be
  20. Matthew 5:29 Gr Gehenna
  21. Matthew 5:30 Lit that one...be lost
  22. Matthew 5:30 Lit and not your whole body
  23. Matthew 5:30 Gr Gehenna
  24. Matthew 5:32 Lit sends away, the Heb term for divorce
  25. Matthew 5:32 Lit woman sent away
  26. Matthew 5:33 Lit it was said to the ancients
  27. Matthew 5:33 you and your are singular here
  28. Matthew 5:33 Or break your vows
  29. Matthew 5:33 Lit oaths
  30. Matthew 5:35 Or toward
  31. Matthew 5:37 I.e., a clear “yes” or “no”
  32. Matthew 5:37 Or from the evil one
  33. Matthew 5:40 A long shirt worn next to the skin
  34. Matthew 5:40 Or outer garment
  35. Matthew 5:41 Lit will force
Close NIV

Matthew 5
New International Version

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes(A)

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(B)
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.(C)
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.(D)
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.(E)
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.(F)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,(G)
    for they will see God.(H)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,(I)
    for they will be called children of God.(J)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,(K)
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(L)

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.(N) 12 Rejoice and be glad,(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.(P)

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.(Q)

14 “You are the light of the world.(R) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.(S) 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,(T) that they may see your good deeds(U) and glorify(V) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.(W) 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.(X) 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands(Y) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.(Z)

Murder(AA)

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a](AB) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry(AC) with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment.(AD) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court.(AE) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.(AF)

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e](AG) 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(AH) 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble,(AI) 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble,(AJ) 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 go into hell.

Divorce

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f](AK) 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.(AL)

Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,(AM) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’(AN) 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:(AO) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;(AP) 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.(AQ) 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;(AR) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[g](AS)

Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h](AT) 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.(AU) 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(AV)

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i](AW) and hate your enemy.’(AX) 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(AY) 45 that you may be children(AZ) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(BA) 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?(BB) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13
  2. Matthew 5:22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.
  3. Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause
  4. Matthew 5:22 An Aramaic term of contempt
  5. Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:14
  6. Matthew 5:31 Deut. 24:1
  7. Matthew 5:37 Or from evil
  8. Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21
  9. Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18
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