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.^(A)

Murder^(B)

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

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.

³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(A) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(B) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(C) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(D)

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.^{(E) 6} For we know that our old self^(F) was crucified with him^(G) so that the body ruled by sin^(H) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(I)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(J)

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^{(K) 9} For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(L) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^{(M) 10} The death he died, he died to sin^(N) once for all;^(O) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(P) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.