Matthew 5
Legacy 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 (C)And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “[b](D)Blessed are the [c]poor in spirit, for (E)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are (F)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are (G)the [d]lowly, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are (H)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are (I)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 Blessed are (J)the pure in heart, for (K)they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for (L)they shall 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 the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but (Q)if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out to be trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are (R)the light of the world. A city set on a [e]hill cannot be hidden; 15 (S)nor does anyone 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 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may (T)see your good works, and (U)glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17 “Do not think 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 shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls 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 does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your (Y)righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Personal Relationships
21 “(Z)You have heard that [i]the ancients were told, ‘(AA)You shall not murder’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be guilty before (AB)the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before (AC)the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘[j]Raca,’ shall be guilty before the [k](AD)Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the [l](AE)fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you are (AF)presenting your [m]offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [n]offering there before the altar and go; first be (AG)reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [o]offering. 25 (AH)Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you 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 [p]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)to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (AM)But if your right eye makes you [q]stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you [r]to lose one of the parts of your body, [s]than for your whole body to be thrown into [t](AN)hell. 30 (AO)And if your right hand makes you [u]stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you [v]to lose one of the parts of your body, [w]than for your whole body to go into [x](AP)hell.
31 “Now it was said, ‘(AQ)Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 (AR)but I say to you that everyone who [y]divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [z]divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, (AS)you have heard that [aa]the ancients were told, ‘[ab](AT)You shall not [ac]make false vows, but shall fulfill your [ad]vows to the [ae]Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AU)make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is (AV)the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the (AW)footstool of His feet, or [af]by Jerusalem, for it is (AX)the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [ag]of (AY)the evil one.
38 “(AZ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BA)An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but (BB)whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your [ah]tunic, let him have your [ai]garment also. 41 And whoever [aj]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 [ak]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? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore [al](BJ)you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:1 Or hill
- Matthew 5:3 Fortunate or prosperous, so through v 11
- Matthew 5:3 Those who are not spiritually arrogant
- Matthew 5:5 Or humble, meek
- Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
- Matthew 5:15 Or peck-measure
- Matthew 5:18 Or one projection of a letter (serif); lit one iota (Heb yodh)
- Matthew 5:19 Gr anthropoi
- Matthew 5:21 Lit it was said to the ancients
- Matthew 5:22 Or empty-head; from Aram reqa
- Matthew 5:22 Or Council
- Matthew 5:22 Lit Gehenna of fire
- Matthew 5:23 Or gift
- Matthew 5:24 Or gift
- Matthew 5:24 Or gift
- Matthew 5:26 A Roman copper coin, approx. 1/64 of a laborer’s daily wage
- Matthew 5:29 Sin
- Matthew 5:29 Lit that one...be lost
- Matthew 5:29 Lit not your whole body
- Matthew 5:29 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 5:30 Sin
- Matthew 5:30 Lit that one...be lost
- Matthew 5:30 Lit not your whole body
- Matthew 5:30 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 5:32 Or sends away
- Matthew 5:32 Or sent away
- Matthew 5:33 Lit it was said to the ancients
- Matthew 5:33 you and your are singular here
- Matthew 5:33 Or break your vows
- Matthew 5:33 Lit oaths
- Matthew 5:33 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Deut 23:21
- Matthew 5:35 Or toward
- Matthew 5:37 Or from evil
- Matthew 5:40 A garment worn next to the body
- Matthew 5:40 An outer garment
- Matthew 5:41 Lit will force
- Matthew 5:45 Or show yourselves to be
- Matthew 5:48 Lit you shall be
Matthew 5
Lexham English Bible
The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes
5 Now when he[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he[b] sat down, his disciples approached him. 2 And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are the ones who mourn,
because they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
because they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
because they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
because they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you
when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
The Sermon on the Mount: Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside and[c] trampled under foot by people. 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. 16 In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount: The Law and the Prophets Fulfilled
17 “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place. 19 Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount: Anger Toward Others
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people of old,[d] ‘Do not commit murder,’[e] and ‘whoever commits murder will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Stupid fool!’[f] will be subject to the council, and whoever says, ‘Obstinate fool!’[g] will be subject to fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you present your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and first go be reconciled to your brother, and then come and[h] present your gift. 25 Settle the case quickly with your accuser[i] while you are with him on the way, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will never come out of there until you have paid back the last penny!
The Sermon on the Mount: Adultery and Lust
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell.
The Sermon on the Mount: Divorce
31 “And it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[k] 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Sermon on the Mount: Taking Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the people of old,[l] ‘Do not swear falsely,[m] but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’[n] 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. 36 And do not swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be ‘Yes, yes; no, no,’ and anything beyond these is from the evil one.[o]
The Sermon on the Mount: Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’[p] 39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,[q] turn the other to him also. 40 And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him have[r] your outer garment also. 41 And whoever forces you to go one mile,[s] go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
The Sermon on the Mount: Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’[t] and ‘Hate your enemy.’[u] 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? 48 Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:1 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 5:1 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“sat down”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 5:13 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“thrown”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 5:21 Literally “ancients”
- Matthew 5:21 A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17
- Matthew 5:22 Greek “Raca,” a term of verbal abuse involving lack of intelligence
- Matthew 5:22 Perhaps with the idea of obstinate, godless foolishness; some take the word to be a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20)
- Matthew 5:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“come”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 5:25 Literally “be making friends quickly with your accuser”
- Matthew 5:27 A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17
- Matthew 5:31 A quotation from Deut 24:1
- Matthew 5:33 Literally “ancients”
- Matthew 5:33 Or “do not break your oath”
- Matthew 5:33 A quotation from Lev 19:12
- Matthew 5:37 Or “is of evil”
- Matthew 5:38 A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20
- Matthew 5:39 Some manuscripts have “your right cheek”
- Matthew 5:40 Literally “leave to him”
- Matthew 5:41 A Roman mile was originally a thousand paces, but was later fixed at eight stades (1,478.5 meters)
- Matthew 5:43 A quotation from Lev 19:18
- Matthew 5:43 An allusion to Deut 23:3–6
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