Matthew 5-8
New American Standard Bible
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
5 (A)Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on (B)the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And (C)He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “[b](D)Blessed are the poor in spirit, for (E)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are (F)those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are (G)the [c]gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are (H)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are (I)the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are (J)the pure in heart, for (K)they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for (L)they will be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been (M)persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for (N)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people (O)insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for (P)in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Disciples and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but (Q)if the salt has become tasteless, how [d]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
14 “You are (R)the light of the world. A city set on a [e]hill cannot be hidden; 15 (S)nor do people light a lamp and put it under a [f]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may (T)see your good works, and (U)glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the (V)Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, (W)until heaven and earth pass away, not [g]the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! 19 Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [h]others to do the same, shall be called least (X)in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever [i]keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your (Y)righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Personal Relationships
21 “(Z)You have heard that [j]the ancients were told, ‘(AA)You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to (AB)the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to (AC)the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘[k]You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to [l](AD)the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the [m](AE)fiery hell. 23 Therefore, if you are (AF)presenting your [n]offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [o]offering there before the altar and go; first be (AG)reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [p]offering. 25 (AH)[q]Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, (AI)you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last [r]quadrans.
27 “(AJ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(AK)You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman (AL)with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 Now (AM)if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, [s]than for your whole body to be thrown into [t](AN)hell. 30 And (AO)if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you [u]to lose one of the parts of your body, [v]than for your whole body to go into [w](AP)hell.
31 “Now it was said, ‘(AQ)Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 (AR)but I say to you that everyone who [x]divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [y]divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, (AS)you have heard that [z]the ancients were told, ‘[aa](AT)You shall not [ab]make false vows, but shall fulfill your [ac]vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (AU)take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is (AV)the throne of God, 35 nor by the earth, for it is the (AW)footstool of His feet, nor [ad]by Jerusalem, for it is (AX)the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But make sure your statement is, ‘[ae]Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [af]of (AY)evil origin.
38 “(AZ)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BA)Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but (BB)whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your [ag]tunic, let him have your [ah]cloak also. 41 Whoever [ai]forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 (BC)Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
43 “(BD)You have heard that it was said, ‘(BE)You shall love your neighbor (BF)and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (BG)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be (BH)sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For (BI)if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48 Therefore (BJ)you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Charitable Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, (BK)to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you [aj]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they (BL)will be praised by people. (BM)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you [ak]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and (BN)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to (BO)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners (BP)so that they [al]will be seen by people. (BQ)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But as for you, when you pray, (BR)go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and (BS)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their (BT)many words. 8 So do not be like them; for (BU)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The Lord’s Prayer
9 “(BV)Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[am]Hallowed be Your name.
10 [an](BW)Your kingdom come.
(BX)Your will be done,
[ao]On earth as it is in heaven.
11 (BY)Give us this day [ap]our daily bread.
12 And (BZ)forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but (CA)deliver us from [aq](CB)evil.[ar]’
14 (CC)For if you forgive other people for their [as]offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (CD)if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your [at]offenses.
Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth
16 “Now (CE)whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [au]distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. (CF)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But as for you, when you fast, [av](CG)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your (CH)Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
19 “(CI)Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves (CJ)treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for (CK)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “(CL)The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is [aw]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if (CM)your eye is [ax]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “(CN)No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [ay](CO)wealth.
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “(CP)For this reason I say to you, [az]do not be (CQ)worried about your [ba]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 (CR)Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by (CS)worrying can (CT)add a single [bb]day to his [bc]life’s span? 28 And why are you (CU)worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even (CV)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the (CW)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? (CX)You of little faith! 31 Do not (CY)worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for (CZ)your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [bd]seek first [be]His kingdom and His righteousness, and (DA)all these things will be [bf]provided to you.
34 “So do not (DB)worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [bg]worry about itself. [bh]Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
7 “(DC)Do not [bi]judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [bj](DD)by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you (DE)look at the [bk]speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 (DF)Or how [bl]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the [bm]speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the [bn]speck out of your brother’s eye!
6 “(DG)Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Prayer and the Golden Rule
7 “[bo](DH)Ask, and (DI)it will be given to you; [bp]seek, and you will find; [bq]knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what person is there among you [br]who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, [bs]will give him a stone? 10 Or [bt]if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 So if you, despite being [bu]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, (DJ)how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
12 “In everything, (DK)therefore, [bv]treat people the same way you want [bw]them to treat you, for (DL)this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “(DM)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the (DN)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are (DO)ravenous wolves. 16 You will [bx](DP)know them by their fruits. [by]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So (DQ)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (DR)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [bz]know them (DS)by their fruits.
21 “(DT)Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 (DU)Many will say to Me on (DV)that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [ca]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (DW)leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
The Two Foundations
24 “Therefore, (DX)everyone who hears these words of Mine, and [cb]acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell and the [cc]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not [cd]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell and the [ce]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”
28 [cf](DY)When Jesus had finished these words, (DZ)the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy
8 When [cg]Jesus came down from the mountain, [ch]large crowds followed Him. 2 And (EA)a man with [ci]leprosy came to Him and [cj](EB)bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 [ck]Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his (EC)leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus *said to him, “(ED)See that you tell no one; but (EE)go, (EF)show yourself to the priest and present the [cl]offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
The Centurion’s Faith
5 And (EG)when [cm]Jesus entered Capernaum, a [cn]centurion came to Him, begging Him, 6 and saying, “[co]Lord, my [cp]servant is lying (EH)paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” 7 Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “[cq]Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just [cr]say the word, and my [cs]servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under (EI)authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith [ct]with anyone in Israel. 11 And I say to you that many (EJ)will come from east and west, and [cu]recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but (EK)the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into (EL)the outer darkness; in that place (EM)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; [cv]it shall be done for you (EN)as you have believed.” And the [cw]servant was healed at that very [cx]moment.
Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed
14 (EO)When Jesus came into Peter’s [cy]home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and [cz]waited on Him. 16 Now when evening came, they brought to Him many (EP)who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and (EQ)healed all who were ill. 17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “(ER)He Himself took our illnesses and [da]carried away our diseases.”
Discipleship Tested
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, (ES)He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 (ET)Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but (EU)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him, “(EV)Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms the Storm
23 (EW)When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, a [db]violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “(EX)Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you [dc]afraid, (EY)you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [dd]it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus Sends Demons into Pigs
28 (EZ)And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two (FA)demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “[de](FB)What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before [df]the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. 31 And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and [dg]drowned in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, [dh]including what had happened to the (FC)demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, (FD)they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:1 Or hill
- Matthew 5:3 I.e., fortunate or prosperous, and so through v 11
- Matthew 5:5 Or humble, meek
- Matthew 5:13 Lit will
- Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
- Matthew 5:15 Lit peck-measure
- Matthew 5:18 Lit one iota (Heb yodh) or one projection (serif)
- Matthew 5:19 Lit people
- Matthew 5:19 Lit does
- Matthew 5:21 Lit it was said to the ancients
- Matthew 5:22 Or You empty-head; Gr Raka (Raca) from Aramaic reqa
- Matthew 5:22 Lit the Sanhedrin; i.e., Jewish High Court
- Matthew 5:22 Lit Gehenna of fire
- Matthew 5:23 Or gift
- Matthew 5:24 Or gift
- Matthew 5:24 Or gift
- Matthew 5:25 I.e., settle the case
- Matthew 5:26 A small Roman copper coin, worth about 1/64 of a laborer’s daily wage
- Matthew 5:29 Lit and that your whole body not be
- Matthew 5:29 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 5:30 Lit that one...be lost
- Matthew 5:30 Lit and not your whole body
- Matthew 5:30 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 5:32 Lit sends away, the Heb term for divorce
- Matthew 5:32 Lit woman sent away
- Matthew 5:33 Lit it was said to the ancients
- Matthew 5:33 you and your are singular here
- Matthew 5:33 Or break your vows
- Matthew 5:33 Lit oaths
- Matthew 5:35 Or toward
- Matthew 5:37 I.e., a clear “yes” or “no”
- Matthew 5:37 Or from the evil one
- Matthew 5:40 A long shirt worn next to the skin
- Matthew 5:40 Or outer garment
- Matthew 5:41 Lit will force
- Matthew 6:2 Lit make a charitable gift
- Matthew 6:3 Lit make a charitable gift
- Matthew 6:5 Lit may show themselves to
- Matthew 6:9 I.e., treated as sacred or holy
- Matthew 6:10 Or May Your...come
- Matthew 6:10 Lit as in heaven, also on earth
- Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
- Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one
- Matthew 6:13 Late mss add For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
- Matthew 6:14 Or wrongdoings
- Matthew 6:15 Or wrongdoings
- Matthew 6:16 I.e., leave unwashed, or discolor their faces with makeup
- Matthew 6:17 I.e., rub oil in the hair
- Matthew 6:22 Or healthy; or sincere
- Matthew 6:23 Or evil
- Matthew 6:24 Gr mamonas, for Aramaic mamon (mammon); i.e., wealth etc. personified as an object of worship
- Matthew 6:25 Or stop being worried
- Matthew 6:25 Lit soul
- Matthew 6:27 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
- Matthew 6:27 Or height
- Matthew 6:33 Or continually seek
- Matthew 6:33 Or the kingdom
- Matthew 6:33 Or added
- Matthew 6:34 Or look after itself
- Matthew 6:34 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evil
- Matthew 7:1 I.e., make a habit of judging or have a judgmental attitude
- Matthew 7:2 Lit by which measure you measure
- Matthew 7:3 Or splinter
- Matthew 7:4 Lit will
- Matthew 7:4 Or splinter
- Matthew 7:5 Or splinter
- Matthew 7:7 Or Keep asking
- Matthew 7:7 Or keep seeking
- Matthew 7:7 Or keep knocking
- Matthew 7:9 Lit whom his son will ask
- Matthew 7:9 Lit he will not give him a stone, will he?
- Matthew 7:10 Lit also will ask
- Matthew 7:11 I.e., as sinful mankind
- Matthew 7:12 Lit you, too, do so for them
- Matthew 7:12 Lit people
- Matthew 7:16 Or recognize
- Matthew 7:16 Lit They do not gather
- Matthew 7:20 Or recognize
- Matthew 7:22 Or works of power
- Matthew 7:24 Lit does them
- Matthew 7:25 Lit rivers
- Matthew 7:26 Lit do them
- Matthew 7:27 Lit rivers
- Matthew 7:28 Lit And it happened when
- Matthew 8:1 Lit He
- Matthew 8:1 Or many
- Matthew 8:2 I.e., leprosy or a serious, unspecified skin disease, and so throughout the ch; see Lev 13
- Matthew 8:2 Or worshiped Him
- Matthew 8:3 Lit And He
- Matthew 8:4 Lit gift
- Matthew 8:5 Lit He
- Matthew 8:5 I.e., a Roman military officer
- Matthew 8:6 Or Sir
- Matthew 8:6 Lit boy
- Matthew 8:8 Or Sir
- Matthew 8:8 Lit say with a word
- Matthew 8:8 Lit boy
- Matthew 8:10 One early ms not even in Israel
- Matthew 8:11 I.e., to dine
- Matthew 8:13 Or it is to be done; Gr imperative, i.e., a command
- Matthew 8:13 Lit boy
- Matthew 8:13 Lit hour
- Matthew 8:14 Or house
- Matthew 8:15 Or served
- Matthew 8:17 Or removed
- Matthew 8:24 Lit great
- Matthew 8:26 Or cowardly
- Matthew 8:26 Lit a great calm occurred
- Matthew 8:29 Lit What to us and to you (an ancient idiom)
- Matthew 8:29 I.e., the appointed time of judgment
- Matthew 8:32 Lit died
- Matthew 8:33 Lit and the things of
Matthew 5-8
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.
Do Good to Please God
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, (BN)when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret (BO)will Himself reward you [r]openly.
The Model Prayer(BP)
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the [s]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, (BQ)go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [t]openly. 7 And when you pray, (BR)do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. (BS)For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father (BT)knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this (BU)manner, therefore, pray:
(BV)Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your (BW)name.
10 Your kingdom come.
(BX)Your will be done
On earth (BY)as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our (BZ)daily bread.
12 And (CA)forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 (CB)And do not lead us into temptation,
But (CC)deliver us from the evil one.
[u]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 (CD)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (CE)if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 “Moreover, (CF)when you fast, do not be like the [v]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, (CG)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [w]openly.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven(CH)
19 (CI)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 (CJ)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body(CK)
22 (CL)“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is [x]good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [y]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 (CM)“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. (CN)You cannot serve God and [z]mammon.
Do Not Worry(CO)
25 “Therefore I say to you, (CP)do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 (CQ)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [aa]cubit to his [ab]stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [ac]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But (CR)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Do Not Judge(CS)
7 “Judge[ad] (CT)not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [ae]judgment you judge, you will be judged; (CU)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 (CV)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 (CW)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(CX)
7 (CY)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For (CZ)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 (DA)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, (DB)being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, (DC)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (DD)this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Way(DE)
13 (DF)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [af]Because narrow is the gate and [ag]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits(DG)
15 (DH)“Beware of false prophets, (DI)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 (DJ)You will know them by their fruits. (DK)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, (DL)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (DM)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You(DN)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, (DO)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who (DP)does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we (DQ)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And (DR)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (DS)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Build on the Rock(DT)
24 “Therefore (DU)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that (DV)the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 (DW)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(DX)
8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 (DY)And behold, a leper came and (DZ)worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy (EA)was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, (EB)“See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that (EC)Moses (ED)commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant(EE)
5 (EF)Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a (EG)centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, (EH)I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only (EI)speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that (EJ)many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But (EK)the sons of the kingdom (EL)will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed(EM)
14 (EN)Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw (EO)his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served [ah]them.
Many Healed in the Evening(EP)
16 (EQ)When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
(ER)“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”
The Cost of Discipleship(ES)
18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19 (ET)Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
21 (EU)Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, (EV)let me first go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(EW)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 (EX)And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then (EY)He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, [ai]“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed(EZ)
28 (FA)When He had come to the other side, to the country of the [aj]Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, [ak]permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.
33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, (FB)they begged Him to depart from their region.
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 6:4 NU omits openly
- Matthew 6:5 pretenders
- Matthew 6:6 NU omits openly
- Matthew 6:13 NU omits the rest of v. 13.
- Matthew 6:16 pretenders
- Matthew 6:18 NU, M omit openly
- Matthew 6:22 Clear, or healthy
- Matthew 6:23 Evil, or unhealthy
- Matthew 6:24 Lit., in Aram., riches
- Matthew 6:27 About 18 inches
- Matthew 6:27 height
- Matthew 6:29 dressed
- Matthew 7:1 Condemn
- Matthew 7:2 Condemnation
- Matthew 7:14 NU, M How narrow . . . !
- Matthew 7:14 confined
- Matthew 8:15 NU, M Him
- Matthew 8:27 Lit. What sort of man is this
- Matthew 8:28 NU Gadarenes
- Matthew 8:31 NU send us into
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
