Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes^(A)

He said:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(N) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(P)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.^(Q)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(R) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.^{(S) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(T) that they may see your good deeds^(U) and glorify^(V) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.^{(W) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.^{(X) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(Y) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.^(Z)

Murder^(AA)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a](AB) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry^(AC) with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment.^(AD) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court.^(AE) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.^(AF)

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[e](AG) 28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(AH) 29} If your right eye causes you to stumble,^(AI) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble,^(AJ) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[f](AK) 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(AL)

Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,^(AM) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’^{(AN) 34} But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:^(AO) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;^{(AP) 35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.^{(AQ) 36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;^(AR) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.^[g](AS)

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^{[h](AT) 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.^{(AU) 40} And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(AV)

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i](AW) and hate your enemy.’^{(AX) 44} But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,^{(AY) 45} that you may be children^(AZ) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(BA) 46} If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(BB) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.^(BC)

Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders

23 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest^(A) from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man,^{(B) 2} summoned all Israel—their elders,^(C) leaders, judges and officials^(D)—and said to them: “I am very old.^{(E) 3} You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.^{(F) 4} Remember how I have allotted^(G) as an inheritance^(H) for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea^(I) in the west. ⁵ The Lord your God himself will push them out^(J) for your sake. He will drive them out^(K) before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.^(L)

⁶ “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law^(M) of Moses, without turning aside^(N) to the right or to the left.^{(O) 7} Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear^(P) by them. You must not serve them or bow down^(Q) to them. ⁸ But you are to hold fast to the Lord^(R) your God, as you have until now.

⁹ “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations;^(S) to this day no one has been able to withstand you.^{(T) 10} One of you routs a thousand,^(U) because the Lord your God fights for you,^(V) just as he promised. ¹¹ So be very careful^(W) to love the Lord^(X) your God.

¹² “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them^(Y) and associate with them,^{(Z) 13} then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out^(AA) these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares^(AB) and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,^(AC) until you perish from this good land,^(AD) which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴ “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.^(AE) You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise^(AF) has been fulfilled; not one has failed.^{(AG) 15} But just as all the good things^(AH) the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things^(AI) he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you^(AJ) from this good land he has given you.^{(AK) 16} If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.^(AL)”

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Then Joshua assembled^(AM) all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.^(AN) He summoned^(AO) the elders,^(AP) leaders, judges and officials of Israel,^(AQ) and they presented themselves before God.

² Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor,^(AR) lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.^{(AS) 3} But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan^(AT) and gave him many descendants.^(AU) I gave him Isaac,^{(AV) 4} and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.^(AW) I assigned the hill country of Seir^(AX) to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.^(AY)

⁵ “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron,^(AZ) and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.^{(BA) 6} When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea,^(BB) and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen^[a](BC) as far as the Red Sea.^{[b](BD) 7} But they cried^(BE) to the Lord for help, and he put darkness^(BF) between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them.^(BG) You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.^(BH) Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.^(BI)

⁸ “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites^(BJ) who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.^{(BK) 9} When Balak son of Zippor,^(BL) the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor^(BM) to put a curse on you.^{(BN) 10} But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you^(BO) again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹ “‘Then you crossed the Jordan^(BP) and came to Jericho.^(BQ) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,^(BR) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(BS) but I gave them into your hands.^{(BT) 12} I sent the hornet^(BU) ahead of you, which drove them out^(BV) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.^{(BW) 13} So I gave you a land^(BX) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’^(BY)

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord^(BZ) and serve him with all faithfulness.^(CA) Throw away the gods^(CB) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,^(CC) and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,^(CD) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,^(CE) we will serve the Lord.”^(CF)

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake^(CG) the Lord to serve other gods! ¹⁷ It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,^(CH) and performed those great signs^(CI) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. ¹⁸ And the Lord drove out^(CJ) before us all the nations,^(CK) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.^(CL) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.^(CM)”

¹⁹ Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;^(CN) he is a jealous God.^(CO) He will not forgive^(CP) your rebellion^(CQ) and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord^(CR) and serve foreign gods, he will turn^(CS) and bring disaster^(CT) on you and make an end of you,^(CU) after he has been good to you.”

²¹ But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

²² Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses^(CV) against yourselves that you have chosen^(CW) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,^(CX)” they replied.

²³ “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods^(CY) that are among you and yield your hearts^(CZ) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”^(DA)

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant^(DB) for the people, and there at Shechem^(DC) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^{(DD) 26} And Joshua recorded^(DE) these things in the Book of the Law of God.^(DF) Then he took a large stone^(DG) and set it up there under the oak^(DH) near the holy place of the Lord.

²⁷ “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone^(DI) will be a witness^(DJ) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue^(DK) to your God.”^(DL)

²⁸ Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.^(DM)

Buried in the Promised Land^(DN)

²⁹ After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died^(DO) at the age of a hundred and ten.^{(DP) 30} And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah^[c](DQ) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.^(DR)

³¹ Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders^(DS) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

³² And Joseph’s bones,^(DT) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,^(DU) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land^(DV) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver^[d] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

³³ And Eleazar son of Aaron^(DW) died and was buried at Gibeah,^(DX) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas^(DY) in the hill country^(DZ) of Ephraim.

Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites^(EA)

1 After the death^(EB) of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first^(EC) to fight against the Canaanites?^(ED)”

² The Lord answered, “Judah^(EE) shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.^(EF)”

³ The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites^(EG) went with them.

⁴ When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites^(EH) into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.^{(EI) 5} It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek^(EJ) and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. ⁶ Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

⁷ Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back^(EK) for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem,^(EL) and he died there.

⁸ The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem^(EM) also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

⁹ After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country,^(EN) the Negev^(EO) and the western foothills. ¹⁰ They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron^(EP) (formerly called Kiriath Arba^(EQ)) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.^{(ER) 11} From there they advanced against the people living in Debir^(ES) (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

¹² And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁴ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[e] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁵ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.^(ET)

¹⁶ The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law,^(EU) the Kenite,^(EV) went up from the City of Palms^[f](EW) with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.^(EX)

¹⁷ Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites^(EY) their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed^[g] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.^{[h](EZ) 18} Judah also took^[i] Gaza,^(FA) Ashkelon^(FB) and Ekron—each city with its territory.

¹⁹ The Lord was with^(FC) the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country,^(FD) but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.^{(FE) 20} As Moses had promised, Hebron^(FF) was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.^{(FG) 21} The Benjamites, however, did not drive out^(FH) the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem;^(FI) to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

²² Now the tribes of Joseph^(FJ) attacked Bethel,^(FK) and the Lord was with them. ²³ When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz),^{(FL) 24} the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.^(FM)” ²⁵ So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared^(FN) the man and his whole family. ²⁶ He then went to the land of the Hittites,^(FO) where he built a city and called it Luz,^(FP) which is its name to this day.

²⁷ But Manasseh did not^(FQ) drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor^(FR) or Ibleam^(FS) or Megiddo^(FT) and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites^(FU) were determined to live in that land. ²⁸ When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.^{(FV) 29} Nor did Ephraim^(FW) drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer,^(FX) but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.^{(FY) 30} Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. ³¹ Nor did Asher^(FZ) drive out those living in Akko or Sidon^(GA) or Ahlab or Akzib^(GB) or Helbah or Aphek^(GC) or Rehob.^{(GD) 32} The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. ³³ Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh^(GE) or Beth Anath^(GF); but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. ³⁴ The Amorites^(GG) confined the Danites^(GH) to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.^{(GI) 35} And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres,^(GJ) Aijalon^(GK) and Shaalbim,^(GL) but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. ³⁶ The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass^(GM) to Sela^(GN) and beyond.^(GO)