Matthew 5
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus teaches his disciples
5 Jesus saw that crowds of people were following him. So he went up a hill and he sat down there to teach them. His disciples came near to listen to him. 2 He began to teach them. This is what he said:
3 ‘Happy are the people who know that they need God very much.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.[a]
4 Happy are the people who are sad now.
God will come near to help them.[b]
5 Happy are the people who are kind.
The whole earth will belong to them.
6 Happy are the people who want to obey God, as much as they want to eat food.
God will give to them everything that they need.
7 Happy are the people who help other people and who forgive them.
God will forgive people like that.
8 Happy are the people who have only good thoughts.
They will come near to God and see him.
9 Happy are the people who bring people together to be friends.
God will call them his children.
10 Happy are the people who do what is right but other people hurt them because of it.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.
11 Yes, happy are you when people say bad things against you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true. 12 God is preparing many good things for you in heaven. So you should be very happy when people do these bad things to any of you. People did these same things to God's prophets who lived long ago.’
Jesus' disciples are like salt and light
13 Jesus said, ‘You are like salt for all people to taste and use. Salt is good. But if it is not salty any more, you cannot make it salty again. People can no longer use it for anything. They just throw it away and they walk on it.
14 You are like a light for everybody in this world. If people build a city on a hill, then other people can see it easily. 15 Nobody lights a lamp and then puts it under a pot. He will put the lamp in a high place.[c] Everybody who is in the house can then see the light from the lamp. 16 You must be sure that your light shines well. Then you will give light to other people. They will see all the good things that you do.[d] Then they will praise God, who is your Father in heaven.’
Jesus talks about the Laws that Moses gave to the Jews
17 Jesus said, ‘You should not think that I have come to destroy God's Law. Also, I have not come to destroy the messages that God's prophets wrote down. No, I have not come to destroy their words. I have come to make what they taught become true. 18 I tell you this: One day, even the earth and the sky will finish. But while they remain, God's Law will also remain. Nobody can remove even the smallest thing from it. The Law will remain until everything in it has happened.
19 A person may choose not to obey a rule in God's Law. He may think it is the least important rule. He may also teach other people to think like that. Then God will call him the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But a person may choose to obey all the rules in God's Law. And he may teach other people to obey them too. Then God will call that person great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you this: You must always do what is right. You must live in a way that is better than the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees.[e] You will never come into the kingdom of heaven if you do not do better than them.’
Jesus teaches about angry people
21 Jesus then said, ‘You know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “You must not kill anyone. Any person who does kill someone will stand in front of a judge.[f] The judge will punish him because he has done a wrong thing.” 22 But what I now say to you is this: Anybody who is angry with his brother will have to stand in front of a judge. Or someone might call his brother by a bad name. Then he will have to stand in front of the Jewish leaders. They will judge him. But someone may say to his brother, “You are a fool.”[g] God will judge that person. God may punish him in the fires of hell.
23 Maybe you go to the temple to give your gift to God. You take it to the altar. But then you remember that your brother is angry with you. 24 You must leave your gift there in front of God's altar. First you must go and find your brother. Tell him that you are sorry. Then you can both become friends with each other again. After that, you can return to the altar and give your gift to God.
25 Also, somebody may say that you have done something wrong against him. He may take you to stand in front of the judge.[h] You should quickly try to agree with this person. Decide with him how to make things right again. Do this even while you are going with him to the judge. If you do not do that, the judge may agree that you have done a wrong thing. Then he will give you to his officer. His officer will put you in prison. 26 I tell you this: You will remain in prison until you have paid all the money, even the last small coin.’
Jesus teaches people about bad thoughts
27 Jesus then said, ‘You know what God's rule says: “You must not have sex with anyone who is not your husband or your wife.” 28 But what I tell you is this: A man may look at a woman who is not his wife. And he may want to have sex with her. In his thoughts, he has had sex with her, so he has done a wrong thing. 29 If your right eye leads you to do wrong things, then you should take it out. You should throw it away. Yes, you will lose one eye. But it will be much worse if you keep your whole body and God throws you into hell. 30 Also, if your right hand leads you to do wrong things, then you should cut it off. You should throw it away. You will lose one hand. But it will be much worse if you keep your body in one piece and go to hell.’[i]
Jesus talks about when a man sends his wife away
31 ‘God's Law also says: “Any man who wants to send his wife away must give her a letter. This letter must say that they are no longer married.” 32 But what I tell you is this: A man must not send his wife away except for one reason. He may only send her away if she has had sex with another man. If he sends her away for any other reason, he has done a wrong thing. It is like he has caused her to have sex with another man. Also, if a woman has left her husband, another man must not marry her. That is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife.’
Jesus teaches people about promises to God
33 ‘You also know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “If you make a promise to God, you must do what you have said.” 34 But what I tell you is this. Do not use any name to make a promise stronger. Do not use the words “by heaven” to make a promise stronger. Heaven is the place where God rules. Do not use the words “by the earth” to make a promise stronger. The earth is the place where God rests his feet. 35 Do not use the words “by Jerusalem” to make a promise stronger. Jerusalem is God's city. He is the great King who rules from there. 36 Do not use the words “by my head” to make a promise. You cannot make the colour of even one of your hairs black or white. 37 Instead, when you make a promise, you should say only “Yes, I will do it.” Or you should say only “No, I will not do it.” If you say anything more than this, what you say is bad.[j] It comes from Satan.’
Jesus teaches how to love people
38 Jesus then said, ‘You also know that God's Law says: “If somebody destroys your eye, then you should destroy that person's eye. If somebody destroys your tooth, then you should destroy that person's tooth.” 39 But what I tell you is this. If somebody does something bad to you, do not do anything against him.[k] Somebody may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should also let him slap the other side of your face.
40 Maybe somebody wants to take you to the judge. He says that you should give him your shirt. Give the man your shirt, and give him your coat too. 41 Or a soldier may tell you, “Carry my luggage for one kilometre.” You should do that. Even agree to carry it for two kilometres. 42 When people ask you for something, you should give it to them. If they ask you to lend them something, then you should not refuse.
43 You have heard people say, “Love the people who are your friends. But hate those who want to hurt you.” 44 What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them. 45 If you live like this, you will show that you really are children of your Father above. God is kind to everyone. He causes the sun to shine on everyone, both good people and bad people. He also causes the rain to fall on everyone, people who obey him and people who do not obey him. 46 Do you only love people who love you? God will not give you good things just for doing that. Even the men who take taxes love their friends![l]
47 If you are only kind to your friends, then you are not doing anything special. Even people who do not believe in God do that. 48 So you must be good in every way, as your Father above is good in every way.’
Footnotes
- 5:3 ‘Happy’ here means that God has blessed people who are like this. They may not always feel happy, but they are in a good place, a happy place. God will take care of them.
- 5:4 Jesus was not only speaking about people who are sad. Some people are sorry about all the bad things that they have done. Jesus was speaking about those people.
- 5:15 At this time, people burned oil in a dish to make a light. They called this a lamp. When it was burning, they sometimes put it on a place high on a wall.
- 5:16 Jesus is teaching his disciples about how they must live in a good way that makes God happy. Light shows people the way. In the same way, the disciples must show people the way to God.
- 5:20 The teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees thought that they obeyed every rule in the Law. But they did not do it because they loved God. They wanted other people to think well of them.
- 5:21 At the time when Jesus said this, there were 71 important rulers in Jerusalem. And they met together to judge a bad person. The leader of the priests was their leader. These men had great power. God is the most powerful judge. Only he can send a person to hell.
- 5:22 When Jesus used the word brother, he was also talking about any special friend.
- 5:25 A judge listens to what people say against each other. He then decides who is right or wrong. Jesus is telling the people that everyone has done wrong things to God. They do not obey him in the way that they should. Jesus says that we should believe in him now. If we do not, then God will judge us. And he will punish us when we stand in front of him.
- 5:30 Jesus does not want his disciples to cut their bodies. It is very important for them not to do wrong things. And Jesus is telling them this.
- 5:37 People used to say these extra words when they made a promise. They wanted other people to know that they would keep their promise. Jesus taught that we should always keep our promises (do what we promised to do).
- 5:39 We should not do bad things to other people who have done bad things to us.
- 5:46 The men who took taxes for the Roman government took the money from their own people, the Jews. They often took more money than they should have taken. So people hated the men who took taxes from them.
Matthew 5
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Sermon on the Mount
5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up onto a mountain. When he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He opened his mouth and began to teach them. He said these things:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
because they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the gentle,
because they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
because they will receive 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 people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. In fact, that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? Then it is no good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. No, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 In the same way let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. 18 Amen[a] I tell you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled. 19 So whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 Indeed I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and experts in the law, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Sinful Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[b] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause[c] will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’[d] will have to answer to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of hell[e] fire.
23 “So if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.
25 “If someone accuses you, reach an agreement with him quickly, while you are with him on the way. Otherwise your accuser may bring you to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen I tell you: You will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Lust
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’[f] 28 but I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to fall into sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Divorce
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[g] 32 But I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to be regarded as an adulteress. And whoever marries the divorced woman is regarded as an adulterer.
Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘Do not break your oaths, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’[h] 34 But I tell you, do not swear at all: not by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35 and not by earth, because it is his footstool; and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your own head, since you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Instead, let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Whatever goes beyond these is from the Evil One.
Love Your Enemies
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[i] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evildoer. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you to take away your shirt, give him your coat too. 41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, 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.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[j] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 Indeed if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even tax collectors do that, don’t they? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the unbelievers do that? 48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:18 Usually, people say Amen at the end of a prayer. But Jesus used this Hebrew word at the beginning of a statement, which was unique. The inspired writer simply transliterated the Hebrew word that Jesus spoke, instead of using a Greek term. This translation does the same in English. The basic meaning is I solemnly tell you the truth.
- Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17
- Matthew 5:22 Some witnesses to the text omit without a cause.
- Matthew 5:22 Raca was an insulting name in Aramaic which meant something like numbskull or empty-head.
- Matthew 5:22 Gehenna
- Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18
- Matthew 5:31 Deuteronomy 24:1
- Matthew 5:33 Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2
- Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20
- Matthew 5:43 Leviticus 19:18
Matthew 5
New King James Version
The Beatitudes(A)
5 And seeing the multitudes, (B)He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and (C)taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed(D) are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 (E)Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 (F)Blessed are the meek,
For (G)they shall inherit the [a]earth.
6 Blessed are those who (H)hunger and thirst for righteousness,
(I)For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
(J)For they shall obtain mercy.
8 (K)Blessed are the pure in heart,
For (L)they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 (M)Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 (N)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of (O)evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 (P)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for (Q)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light(R)
13 “You are the salt of the earth; (S)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 (T)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they (U)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, (V)that they may see your good works and (W)glorify your Father in heaven.
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 (X)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, (Y)till heaven and earth pass away, one [b]jot or one [c]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 (Z)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least 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 righteousness exceeds (AA)the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart(AB)
21 “You have heard that it was said to those [d]of old, (AC)‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that (AD)whoever is angry with his brother [e]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, (AE)‘Raca!’[f] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, [g]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of [h]hell fire. 23 Therefore (AF)if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 (AG)leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 (AH)Agree with your adversary quickly, (AI)while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said [i]to those of old, (AJ)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever (AK)looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (AL)If your right eye causes you to [j]sin, (AM)pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to [k]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding(AN)
31 “Furthermore it has been said, (AO)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that (AP)whoever divorces his wife for any reason except [l]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Jesus Forbids Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that (AQ)it was said to those of [m]old, (AR)‘You shall not swear falsely, but (AS)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AT)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is (AU)God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of (AV)the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 (AW)But let [n]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile(AX)
38 “You have heard that it was said, (AY)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 (AZ)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. (BA)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever (BB)compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and (BC)from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies(BD)
43 “You have heard that it was said, (BE)‘You shall love your neighbor (BF)and hate your enemy.’ 44 [o]But I say to you, (BG)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (BH)do good to those who hate you, and pray (BI)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (BJ)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (BK)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [p]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [q]tax collectors do so? 48 (BL)Therefore you shall be perfect, just (BM)as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:5 Or land
- Matthew 5:18 Gr. iota, Heb. yod, the smallest letter
- Matthew 5:18 The smallest stroke in a Heb. letter
- Matthew 5:21 in ancient times
- Matthew 5:22 NU omits without a cause
- Matthew 5:22 Lit., in Aram., Empty head
- Matthew 5:22 Gr. More
- Matthew 5:22 Gr. Gehenna
- Matthew 5:27 NU, M omit to those of old
- Matthew 5:29 Lit. stumble or offend
- Matthew 5:30 Lit. stumble or offend
- Matthew 5:32 Or fornication
- Matthew 5:33 ancient times
- Matthew 5:37 Lit. your word be yes yes
- Matthew 5:44 NU But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
- Matthew 5:47 M friends
- Matthew 5:47 NU Gentiles
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The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
