Matthew 5-7

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:

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.

Jesus Teaches About Giving

6 “Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them in front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, then you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They do that in the synagogues and on the streets. They want other people to honor them. I tell you the truth. Those hypocrites already have their full reward. ³ So when you give to the poor, give very secretly. Don’t let anyone know what you are doing. ⁴ Your giving should be done in secret. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them pray. I tell you the truth. They already have their full reward. ⁶ When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing. They think that God will hear them because of the many things they say. ⁸ Don’t be like them. Your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. ⁹ So when you pray, you should pray like this:

¹⁴ Yes, if you forgive others for the things they do wrong, then your Father in heaven will also forgive you for the things you do wrong. ¹⁵ But if you don’t forgive the wrongs of others, then your Father in heaven will not forgive the wrong things you do.

Jesus Teaches About Worship

¹⁶ “When you give up eating,^[j] don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are giving up eating. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. ¹⁷ So when you give up eating, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then people will not know that you are giving up eating. But your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

God Is More Important Than Money

¹⁹ “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. ²⁰ So store your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. ²¹ Your heart will be where your treasure is.

²² “The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, then your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are evil, then your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness.

²⁴ “No one can be a slave to two masters. He will hate one master and love the other. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. So you cannot serve God and money at the same time.

Don’t Worry

²⁵ “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. And don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. ²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns. But your heavenly Father feeds the birds. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the flowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ²⁹ But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰ God clothes the grass in the field like that. The grass is living today, but tomorrow it is thrown into the fire to be burned. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! ³¹ Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² All the people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things. And your Father in heaven knows that you need them. ³³ The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. ³⁴ So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.

Be Careful About Judging Others

7 “Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. ² You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you.

³ “Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? ⁴ Why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. ⁵ You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.

Ask God for What You Need

⁷ “Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. ⁸ Yes, everyone who continues asking will receive. He who continues searching will find. And he who continues knocking will have the door opened for him.

⁹ “What would you do if your son asks for bread? Which of you would give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if your son asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? ¹¹ Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.

The Most Important Rule

¹² “Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

The Way to Heaven Is Hard

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. The road that leads to hell is a very easy road. And the gate to hell is very wide. Many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate that opens the way to true life is very small. And the road to true life is very hard. Only a few people find that road.

People Know You by Your Actions

¹⁵ “Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. ¹⁶ You will know these people because of the things they do. Good things don’t come from bad people, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes. And figs don’t come from thorny weeds. ¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit. And bad trees produce bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ You will know these false prophets by what they produce.

²¹ “Not everyone who says ‘You are my Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants. ²² On the last day many people will say to me, ‘You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ ²³ Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’

Two Kinds of People

²⁴ “Everyone who hears these things I say and obeys them is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. ²⁵ It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall, because the house was built on rock. ²⁶ But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. ²⁷ It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a big crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at his teaching. ²⁹ Jesus did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority.