And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

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And having seen the crowds, He went up on the mountain. And He having sat-down, His disciples[a] came to Him. And having opened His mouth He was teaching[b] them[c], saying—

These Are The Ones God Considers Blessed

“Blessed[d] are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. Blessed are the ones mourning, because they[e] will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle ones, because they will inherit the earth. Blessed are the ones hungering and thirsting as to righteousness, because they will be filled-to-satisfaction. Blessed are the merciful ones, because they will be shown-mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God[f]. 10 Blessed are the ones having been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. 11 You are blessed ones whenever they reproach you and persecute you and speak every [kind of] evil against you while lying, because-of [g] Me. 12 Be rejoicing and be overjoyed, because your reward is great in the heavens. For in this manner they persecuted the prophets before you.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:1 That is, the twelve; or, the larger group from which the twelve were chosen, Lk 6:13, 17, 20.
  2. Matthew 5:2 Chapters 5-7 may represent the attainable standard of righteousness necessary to enter the kingdom; or, the unattainable standard that drives us to Christ, the premier application of the Law; or, the standard of conduct for those who have entered the kingdom.
  3. Matthew 5:2 That is, the crowds (note 7:28); or, the disciples.
  4. Matthew 5:3 Or, Fortunate, Happy, from God’s point of view.
  5. Matthew 5:4 Or, they themselves (and in each case below). This word has the emphasis.
  6. Matthew 5:9 That is, children characterized by the same trait as their Father.
  7. Matthew 5:11 That is, from the persecutor’s point of view. Or, for the sake of, from the believer’s point of view.

The Sermon on the Mount

Seeing the crowds, (A)he went up on the mountain, and when he (B)sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

And (C)he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

(D)“Blessed are (E)the poor in spirit, for (F)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are (G)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the (H)meek, for they (I)shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and (J)thirst (K)for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are (L)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are (M)the pure in heart, for (N)they shall see God.

“Blessed are (O)the peacemakers, for (P)they shall be called (Q)sons[a] of God.

10 (R)“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for (S)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 (T)“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely (U)on my account. 12 (V)Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for (W)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface

You’re Blessed

1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

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The Sermon on the Mount

Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them:

True Happiness(A)

“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;
    the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
(B)“Happy are those who mourn;
    God will comfort them!
(C)“Happy are those who are humble;
    they will receive what God has promised!
(D)“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;
    God will satisfy them fully!
“Happy are those who are merciful to others;
    God will be merciful to them!
(E)“Happy are the pure in heart;
    they will see God!
“Happy are those who work for peace;
    God will call them his children!
10 (F)“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;
    the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

11 (G)“Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. 12 (H)Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

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