Matthew 5
Wycliffe Bible
5 And Jesus, seeing the people, went up into the hill; and when he was set, his disciples came to him.[a]
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, and said [saying],
3 Blessed be poor men in spirit, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs. [Blessed be the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.]
4 Blessed be mild men [Blessed mild], for they shall wield the earth.
5 Blessed be they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed be they that hunger and thirst rightwiseness, for they shall be fulfilled [for they shall be filled].
7 Blessed be merciful men [Blessed the merciful], for they shall get mercy.
8 Blessed be they that be of clean heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed be peaceable men, for they shall be called God's children. [Blessed the peaceable, for they shall be called the sons of God.]
10 Blessed be they that suffer persecution for rightwiseness, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs [for the kingdom of heaven is theirs].
11 Blessed be ye, when men shall curse you, and shall pursue you [and pursue you], and shall say all evil against you lying, for me.
12 Joy ye, and be ye glad [full out], for your meed is plenteous in heavens; for so they have pursued the prophets also that were before you.
13 Ye be salt of the earth; that if the salt [shall] vanish away, wherein shall it be salted? To nothing it is worth over, but that it be cast out, and be defouled of men.
14 Ye be [the] light of the world; a city set on an hill may not be hid;
15 nor men tendeth a lantern, and putteth it under a bushel [neither men tend a lantern, and put it under a bushel], but on a candlestick, that it give light to all that be in the house.
16 So shine your light before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heavens.
17 Do not ye deem, that I came to undo the law, or the prophets; I came not to undo the law, but to fulfill.[b]
18 Forsooth I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one letter [one i, that is the least letter,] or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all things be done.
19 Therefore he that breaketh one of these least commandments, and teacheth thus men, shall be called the least in the realm of heavens; but he that doeth, and teacheth, shall be called great in the kingdom of heavens.
20 And I say to you, that but your rightwiseness [shall] be more plenteous than of scribes and of Pharisees[c], ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heavens.
21 Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not slay; and he that slayeth, shall be guilty to the doom [shall be guilty of doom].
22 But I say to you, that each man that is wroth to his brother, shall be guilty to doom; and he that saith to his brother, Fie! shall be guilty to the council; but he that saith Fool, shall be guilty to the fire of hell. [But I say to you, that ever-each that is wroth to his brother, shall be guilty of doom; forsooth he that shall say to his brother, Raca, that is, a word of scorn, shall be guilty of council; soothly he that shall say, Fool, that is, a word of despising, shall be guilty of the fire of hell.]
23 Therefore if thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there thou bethinkest, that thy brother hath somewhat against thee [and there bethinkest, that thy brother hath something against thee],
24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou shalt come, and shalt offer thy gift.
25 Be thou consenting to thine adversary soon, while thou art in the way with him, lest peradventure thine adversary take thee to the doomsman, and the doomsman take thee to the minister [lest peradventure thine adversary take thee to the judge, and the judge take thee to the minister], and thou be sent into prison.
26 Truly I say to thee, Thou shalt not go out from thence [Thou shalt not go thence], till thou yield the last farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not do lechery.
28 But I say to you, that every man that seeth a woman [for] to covet her, hath now done lechery by her in his heart [now he hath done lechery with her in his heart].
29 That if thy right eye cause thee to stumble [That if thy right eye offend thee], pull it out, and cast it from thee; for it speedeth to thee, that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
30 And if thy right hand cause thee to stumble [And if thy right hand offend thee], cut it away, and cast [it] from thee; for it speedeth to thee that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
31 And it hath been said, Whoever leaveth his wife, give he to her a bill of forsaking. [Forsooth it is said, Whoever shall leave his wife, give he to her a libel, that is, a little book of forsaking.]
32 But I say to you, that every man that leaveth his wife [that every man that shall leave his wife], except (for) [the] cause of fornication, maketh her to do lechery, and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth adultery.
33 Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but thou shalt yield thine oaths to the Lord. [Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but to the Lord thou shalt yield thine oaths.]
34 But I say to you, that ye swear not for any thing [Forsooth I say to you, to not swear on all manner]; neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35 neither by the earth, for it is the stool of his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king [for it is the city of the great king];
36 neither thou shalt swear by thine head, for thou mayest not make one hair white, or black;
37 but be your word, Yea, yea; Nay, nay [but your word be Yea, yea; Nay, nay]; and that that is more than these, is of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.
39 But I say to you, that ye against-stand not an evil man; but if any smite thee in the right cheek, show to him also the other;[d]
40 and to him that will strive with thee in doom, and take away thy coat, leave to him also thy mantle [leave thou to him and thine over-cloth];
41 and whoever constraineth thee a thousand paces, go thou with him other twain. [and whoever constrain thee a thousand paces, go thou with him other two.]
42 Give thou to him that asketh of thee [Forsooth give to him that asketh of thee], and turn thou not away from him that will borrow of thee.
43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say to you, love ye your enemies, do ye well to them that hate you, and pray ye for them that pursue, and slander you [and pray ye for men pursuing, and falsely challenging you];
45 that ye be the sons of your Father that is in heavens, that maketh his sun to rise upon good men and evil [that maketh his sun to rise on good and on evil men], and raineth on just men and unjust.
46 For if ye love them that love you, what meed shall ye have? whether [the] publicans do not this thing?
47 And if ye greet your brethren only, what shall ye do more? do not heathen men this? [And if ye greet, or salute, your brethren only, what moreover shall ye do? whether and pagans do not this thing?]
48 Therefore be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:1 Jesus forsooth, seeing the companies, went up into an hill; and when he had sat, his disciples came nigh to him.
- Matthew 5:17 Do not ye guess, or deem, that I came to undo, or destroy, the law, or the prophets; I came not to destroy, or undo, but to fulfill.
- Matthew 5:20 Forsooth I say to you, that but your rightwiseness shall be more plenteous than of scribes and Pharisees
- Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, to not against-stand evil; but if any shall smite thee on the right cheek, give to him also the tother;
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
Matthew 5
English Standard Version
The Sermon on the Mount
5 Seeing the crowds, (A)he went up on the mountain, and when he (B)sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And (C)he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 (D)“Blessed are (E)the poor in spirit, for (F)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are (G)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the (H)meek, for they (I)shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and (J)thirst (K)for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are (L)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are (M)the pure in heart, for (N)they shall see God.
9 “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.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, (X)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 (Y)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 (Z)Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so (AA)that[b] they may see your good works and (AB)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 (AC)“Do not think that I have come to abolish (AD)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but (AE)to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, (AF)until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 (AG)Therefore whoever relaxes (AH)one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least (AI)in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great (AJ)in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds (AK)that of the scribes and Pharisees, you (AL)will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 (AM)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, (AN)‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable (AO)to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that (AP)everyone who is angry with his brother[c] will be liable (AQ)to judgment; whoever insults[d] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to (AR)the hell[e] of fire. 23 (AS)So if (AT)you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 (AU)Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, (AV)you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.[f]
Lust
27 (AW)“You have heard that it was said, (AX)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that (AY)everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (AZ)If your right eye (BA)causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into (BB)hell. 30 (BC)And if your right hand (BD)causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into (BE)hell.
Divorce
31 (BF)“It was also said, (BG)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 (BH)But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and (BI)whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again (BJ)you have heard that it was said to those of old, (BK)‘You shall not swear falsely, but (BL)shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, (BM)Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for (BN)it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is (BO)the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; (BP)anything more than this comes from evil.[g]
Retaliation
38 (BQ)“You have heard that it was said, (BR)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, (BS)Do not resist the one who is evil. But (BT)if anyone (BU)slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And (BV)if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,[h] let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone (BW)forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 (BX)Give to the one who begs from you, and (BY)do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 (BZ)“You have heard that it was said, (CA)‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (CB)Love your enemies and (CC)pray for those who persecute you, 45 (CD)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and (CE)sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (CF)For 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,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even (CG)the Gentiles do the same? 48 (CH)You therefore must be (CI)perfect, (CJ)as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface
- Matthew 5:16 Or house. 16 Let your light so shine before others that
- Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts insert without cause
- Matthew 5:22 Greek says Raca to (a term of abuse)
- Matthew 5:22 Greek Gehenna; also verses 29, 30
- Matthew 5:26 Greek kodrantes, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
- Matthew 5:37 Or the evil one
- Matthew 5:40 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
- Matthew 5:47 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
Matthew 5
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
5 Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 Blessed (happy, [a]to be envied, and [b]spiritually prosperous—[c]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
4 Blessed and enviably happy [with a [d]happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!(A)
5 Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, [e]spiritually prosperous—[f]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!(B)
6 Blessed and fortunate and happy and [g]spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God [h]enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be [i]completely satisfied!(C)
7 Blessed (happy, [j]to be envied, and [k]spiritually prosperous—[l]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!
8 Blessed (happy, [m]enviably fortunate, and [n]spiritually prosperous—possessing the [o]happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!(D)
9 Blessed (enjoying [p]enviable happiness, [q]spiritually prosperous—[r]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and [s] maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!
10 Blessed and happy and [t]enviably fortunate and [u]spiritually prosperous [v](in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
11 Blessed (happy, [w]to be envied, and [x]spiritually prosperous—[y]with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.
12 Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.(E)
13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your [z]moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and [aa]recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.
17 Do not think that I have come to do away with or [ab]undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them.
18 For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished.
19 Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be [ac]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court.(F)
22 But I say to you that everyone who continues to be [ad]angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be [ae]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be [af]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You [ag]cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be [ah]liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire.
23 So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you,
24 Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way traveling with him, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26 Truly I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last fraction of a penny.
27 You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.(G)
28 But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna).
30 And if your right hand serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your entire body should be cast into hell (Gehenna).
31 It has also been said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.
32 But I tell you, Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.(H)
33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not swear falsely, but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord [as a religious duty].
34 But I tell you, Do not bind yourselves by an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35 Or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.(I)
36 And do not swear by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black.
37 Let your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one.(J)
38 You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.(K)
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too.
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your undershirt (tunic), let him have your coat also.
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two [miles].
42 Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow [[ai]at interest] from you.(L)
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;(M)
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(N)
45 [aj]To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete [ak]maturity of godliness in mind and character, [al]having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.(O)
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:3 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.
- Matthew 5:3 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:3 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:4 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:5 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:5 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:6 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:6 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:6 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:7 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:7 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:7 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:8 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:8 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:8 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:9 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:9 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:9 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:9 William Tyndale, The Tyndale Bible.
- Matthew 5:10 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:10 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:10 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:11 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:11 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:11 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:16 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:16 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:17 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
- Matthew 5:21 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts insert here: “without cause.”
- Matthew 5:22 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:22 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:22 Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation.
- Matthew 5:22 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:42 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 5:45 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Matthew 5:48 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies in the New Testament.
- Matthew 5:48 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
