Matthew 5
International Children’s Bible
Jesus Teaches the People
5 Jesus saw the crowds who were there. He went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him. 2 Jesus taught the people and said:
3 “Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
4 Those who are sad now are happy.
God will comfort them.
5 Those who are humble are happy.
The earth will belong to them.
6 Those who want to do right more than anything else are happy.
God will fully satisfy them.
7 Those who give mercy to others are happy.
Mercy will be given to them.
8 Those who are pure in their thinking are happy.
They will be with God.
9 Those who work to bring peace are happy.
God will call them his sons.
10 Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
11 “People will say bad things about you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do these things to you, you are happy. 12 Rejoice and be glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.
You Are Like Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on.
14 “You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put the light on a lampstand. Then the light shines for all the people in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do. Live so that they will praise your Father in heaven.
The Importance of the Law
17 “Don’t think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy their teachings but to do what they said. 18 I tell you the truth. Nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until all has happened. 19 Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the law and teaches other people to obey the law will be great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not better than they are, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Teaches About Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone.[a] Anyone who murders another will be judged.’ 22 But I tell you, if you are angry with your brother,[b] you will be judged. And if you say bad things to your brother, you will be judged by the Jewish council. And if you call your brother a fool, then you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with him. Then come and offer your gift.
25 “If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends with him quickly. You should do that before you go to court. If you don’t become his friend, he might turn you over to the judge. And the judge might give you to a guard to put you in jail. 26 I tell you that you will not leave that jail until you have paid everything you owe.
Jesus Teaches About Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not be guilty of adultery.’[c] 28 But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his mind. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, then take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, then cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus Teaches About Divorce
31 “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce paper.’[d] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife is causing his wife to be guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has been unfaithful to him. And anyone who marries that divorced woman is guilty of adultery.
Make Promises Carefully
33 “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a promise, don’t break your promise. Keep the promises that you make to the Lord.’[e] 34 But I tell you, never make an oath. Don’t make an oath using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. 35 Don’t make an oath using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to God. Don’t make an oath using the name of Jerusalem, because that is the city of the great King. 36 And don’t even say that your own head is proof that you will keep your oath. You cannot make one hair on your head become white or black. 37 Say only ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ and say only ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ If you must say more than ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it is from the Evil One.
Don’t Fight Back
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[f] 39 But I tell you, don’t stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, then turn and let him slap the other cheek too. 40 If someone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, then let him have your coat too. 41 If a soldier forces you to go with him one mile, then go with him two miles. 42 If a person asks you for something, then give it to him. Don’t refuse to give to a person who wants to borrow from you.
Love All People
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[g] and hate your enemies.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.[h] 45 If you do this, then you will be true sons of your Father in heaven. Your Father causes the sun to rise on good people and on bad people. Your Father sends rain to those who do good and to those who do wrong. 46 If you love only the people who love you, then you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. 47 And if you are nice only to your friends, then you are no better than other people. Even people without God are nice to their friends. 48 So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Footnotes
- 5:21 You . . . anyone. Quotation from Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17.
- 5:22 brother Some Greek copies continue, “without a reason.”
- 5:27 ‘You . . . adultery.’ Quotation from Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18.
- 5:31 ‘Anyone . . . divorce paper.’ Quotation from Deuteronomy 24:1.
- 5:33 ‘When . . . Lord.’ Quotation from Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21.
- 5:38 ‘An eye . . . tooth.’ Quotation from Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21.
- 5:43 Love your neighbor Quotation from Leviticus 19:18.
- 5:44 you Some Greek copies continue, “Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” Compare Luke 6:28.
Matthew 5
Contemporary English Version
The Sermon on the Mount
5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.[a]
Blessings
(Luke 6.20-23)
Jesus' disciples gathered around him, 2 and he taught them:
3 God blesses those people
who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven![b]
4 (A) God blesses those people
who grieve.
They will find comfort!
5 (B) God blesses those people
who are humble.
The earth will belong
to them!
6 (C) God blesses those people
who want to obey him[c]
more than to eat or drink.
They will be given
what they want!
7 God blesses those people
who are merciful.
They will be treated
with mercy!
8 (D) God blesses those people
whose hearts are pure.
They will see him!
9 God blesses those people
who make peace.
They will be called
his children!
10 (E) God blesses those people
who are treated badly
for doing right.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven.[d]
11 (F) God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12 (G) Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.
Salt and Light
(Mark 9.50; Luke 14.34,35)
13 (H) You are the salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.
14 (I) You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 (J) and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 (K) Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
The Law of Moses
17 Don't suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets.[e] I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. 18 (L) Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen.
19 If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. 20 You must obey God's commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don't, I promise you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 (M) You know our ancestors were told, “Do not murder” and “A murderer must be brought to trial.” 22 But I promise you if you are angry with someone,[f] you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.
23 So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.
25 Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don't, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. 26 I promise you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.
Marriage
27 (N) You know the commandment which says, “Be faithful in marriage.” 28 But I tell you if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts. 29 (O) If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. 30 (P) If your right hand causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Divorce
(Matthew 19.9; Mark 10.11,12; Luke 16.18)
31 (Q) You have been taught that a man who divorces his wife must write out divorce papers for her.[g] 32 (R) But I tell you not to divorce your wife unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin.[h] If you divorce her, you will cause her to be unfaithful, just as any man who marries her is guilty of taking another man's wife.
Promises
33 (S) You know our ancestors were told, “Don't use the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it.” 34 (T) But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God's throne, so don't swear by heaven. 35 (U) The earth is God's footstool, so don't swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don't swear by it. 36 Don't swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. 37 When you make a promise, say only “Yes” or “No.” Anything else comes from the devil.
Revenge
(Luke 6.29,30)
38 (V) You know you have been taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39 But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek,[i] turn and let that person slap your other cheek. 40 If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. 41 If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one kilometer, carry it two kilometers.[j] 42 When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.
Love
(Luke 6.27,28,32-36)
43 (W) You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” 44 But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. 45 (X) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. 46 If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors[k] love their friends. 47 If you greet only your friends, what's so great about this? Don't even unbelievers do that? 48 (Y) But you must always act like your Father in heaven.
Footnotes
- 5.1 sat down: Teachers in the ancient world, including Jewish teachers, usually sat down when they taught.
- 5.3 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: Or “The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
- 5.6 who want to obey him: Or “who want to do right” or “who want everyone to be treated right.”
- 5.10 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: See the note at 5.3.
- 5.17 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
- 5.22 someone: In verses 22-24 the Greek text has “brother,” which may refer to people in general or to other followers.
- 5.31 write out divorce papers for her: Jewish men could divorce their wives, but the women could not divorce their husbands. The purpose of writing these papers was to make it harder for a man to divorce his wife. Before this law was made, all a man had to do was to send his wife away and say that she was no longer his wife.
- 5.32 some terrible sexual sin: This probably refers to the laws about the wrong kinds of marriages that are forbidden in Leviticus 18.6-18 or to some serious sexual sin.
- 5.39 right cheek: A slap on the right cheek was a bad insult.
- 5.41 two kilometers: A Roman soldier had the right to force a person to carry his pack as far as one kilometer.
- 5.46 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.
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
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
