¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(A) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(B) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(C) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(D)

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.^(E)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(F) 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.^{(G) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(H) that they may see your good deeds^(I) and glorify^(J) 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.^{(K) 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.^{(L) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(M) 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.^(N)

The Table of Nations

10 This is the account^(A) of Shem, Ham and Japheth,^(B) Noah’s sons,^(C) who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites^(D)

The Hamites^(P)

⁸ Cush was the father^[c] of Nimrod,^(Y) who became a mighty warrior on the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty^(Z) hunter^(AA) before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰ The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon,^(AB) Uruk,^(AC) Akkad and Kalneh,^(AD) in^[d] Shinar.^{[e](AE) 11} From that land he went to Assyria,^(AF) where he built Nineveh,^(AG) Rehoboth Ir,^[f] Calah ¹² and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

Later the Canaanite^(AT) clans scattered ¹⁹ and the borders of Canaan^(AU) reached from Sidon^(AV) toward Gerar^(AW) as far as Gaza,^(AX) and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim,^(AY) as far as Lasha.

²⁰ These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites^(AZ)

²¹ Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was^[h] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.^(BA)

³⁰ The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

³¹ These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

³² These are the clans of Noah’s sons,^(BK) according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth^(BL) after the flood.