Matthew 4-6

New International Reader's Version

Jesus Is Tempted in the Desert

4 The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him. ² After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him. He said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man must not live only on bread. He must also live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

⁵ Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. It is written,

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written, ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:16)

⁸ Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “If you bow down and worship me,” he said, “I will give you all this.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

¹¹ Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹² John had been put in prison. When Jesus heard about this, he returned to Galilee. ¹³ Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in the city of Capernaum. It was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ In that way, what the prophet Isaiah had said came true. He had said,

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach. “Turn away from your sins!” he said. “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Jesus Chooses His First Disciples

¹⁸ One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake, because they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come and follow me,” Jesus said. “I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers. They were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. As they were preparing their nets, Jesus called out to them. ²² Right away they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.

Jesus Heals Sick People

²³ Jesus went all over Galilee. There he taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria. People brought to him all who were ill with different kinds of sicknesses. Some were suffering great pain. Others were controlled by demons. Some were shaking wildly. Others couldn’t move at all. And Jesus healed all of them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed him. People came from Galilee, from the area known as the Ten Cities, and from Jerusalem and Judea. Others came from the area across the Jordan River.

Jesus Teaches the Disciples and Crowds

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

Jesus Gives Blessings

He said,

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. ¹² Be joyful and glad. Your reward in heaven is great. In the same way, people hurt the prophets who lived long ago.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But suppose the salt loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything. It will be thrown out. People will walk all over it.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill can’t be hidden. ¹⁵ Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus Fulfills the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do this. Instead, I have come to fulfill what is written. ¹⁸ What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest mark of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed. ¹⁹ Do not ignore even one of the least important commands. And do not teach others to ignore them. If you do, you will be called the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ Here is what I tell you. You must be more godly than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. If you are not, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

²¹ “You have heard what was said to people who lived long ago. They were told, ‘Do not commit murder. (Exodus 20:13) Anyone who murders will be judged for it.’ ²² But here is what I tell you. Do not be angry with a brother or sister. Anyone who is angry with them will be judged. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ must stand trial in court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire in hell.

²³ “Suppose you are offering your gift at the altar. And you remember that your brother or sister has something against you. ²⁴ Leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and make peace with them. Then come back and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Suppose someone has a claim against you and is taking you to court. Settle the matter quickly. Do this while you are still together on the way. If you don’t, you may be handed over to the judge. The judge may hand you over to the officer to be thrown into prison. ²⁶ What I’m about to tell you is true. You will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ (Exodus 20:14) ²⁸ But here is what I tell you. Do not even look at a woman in the wrong way. Anyone who does has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. Your eye is only one part of your body. It is better to lose an eye than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Your hand is only one part of your body. It is better to lose a hand than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Suppose a man divorces his wife. If he does, he must give her a letter of divorce.’ (Deuteronomy 24:1) ³² But here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife makes her a victim of adultery. And anyone who gets married to the divorced woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him.

Promises

³³ “Again, you have heard what was said to your people long ago. They were told, ‘Do not break the promises you make to the Lord. Keep your promises to the Lord that you have made.’ ³⁴ But here is what I tell you. Do not make any promises like that at all. Do not make them in the name of heaven. That is God’s throne. ³⁵ Do not make them in the name of the earth. That is the stool for God’s feet. Do not make them in the name of Jerusalem. That is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not make a promise in your own name. You can’t make even one hair of your head white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Be Kind to Others

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth.’ (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21) ³⁹ But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person. Suppose someone slaps you on your right cheek. Turn your other cheek to them also. ⁴⁰ Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let them have your coat also. ⁴¹ Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you for something. Don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow something from you.

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor. (Leviticus 19:18) Hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. ⁴⁵ Then you will be children of your Father who is in heaven. He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don’t. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. ⁴⁷ If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. ⁴⁸ So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Giving to Needy People

6 “Be careful not to do good deeds in front of other people. Don’t do those deeds to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.

² “When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ³ When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.

Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ⁶ When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly. ⁷ When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. ⁸ Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

⁹ “This is how you should pray.

¹⁴ Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¹⁶ “When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces look very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ¹⁷ But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. ¹⁸ Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.

Gather Riches in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not gather for yourselves riches on earth. Moths and rats can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰ Instead, gather for yourselves riches in heaven. There, moths and rats do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. ²¹ Your heart will be where your riches are.

²² “The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? ²⁷ Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. ²⁹ But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these flowers. ³⁰ If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? Your faith is so small! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. ³¹ So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ ³² People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. ³³ But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. ³⁴ So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.