The
Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went
up on the mountain; and after
He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began
to teach them, saying,
3 “ BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
4 “ BLESSED are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “BLESSED are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
7 “BLESSED are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “BLESSED are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “BLESSED are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons
of God.
10 “BLESSED are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “BLESSED are you when people 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 in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Disciples
and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become
tasteless, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor
does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it
gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine
before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father who is in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I
say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass
from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one
of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be
called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Personal
Relationships
21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and
‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable
to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with
his brother shall be guilty
before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘ You
good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty
before the supreme court; and
whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty
enough to go into the fiery
hell. 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go;
first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 Make friends
quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that
your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer,
and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will not
come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to
you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from
you; for it is better for you to
lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown
into hell. 30 If
your right hand makes you stumble,
cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It was said, ‘Whoever
sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32
but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the
reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘ You shall not make
false vows, but shall fulfill your vows
to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all,
either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth,
for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor
shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or
black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’;
anything beyond these is of
evil.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But
I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right
cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and
take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him
two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him
who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But
I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so
that you may be 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 if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even
the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers,
what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the
same? 48 Therefore, you
are to be perfect (mature), as your heavenly Father is perfect (mature).
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