The Sermon on the Mount

5 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain,^(A) and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² Then^[a] he began to teach them, saying:^(B)

The Beatitudes

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.

The Beatitudes

²⁰ Then looking up at his disciples, he said:^(A)

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.^(E)

Woe to the Self-Satisfied

Believers Are Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?^[a] It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.^(A)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.^{(B) 15} No one lights a lamp^(C) and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.^{(D) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.^(E)

Christ Fulfills the Law

¹⁷ “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.^{(F) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter^[b] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.^{(G) 20} For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

How to Give

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness^[a] in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. ² So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.^{(A) 3} But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[b](B)

Ask, Search, Knock

⁷ “Ask,^(A) and it will be given to you.^(B) Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door^[a] will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds,^(C) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹ Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil,^(D) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. ¹² Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.^(E)

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(A) everyone who hears these words^(B) of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(C) the crowds were astonished at his teaching,^{(D) 29} because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.