Matthew 5
5
Jesus Teaches the People
(Lk. 6:20–23)
1When Jesus saw the crowds of people there, he went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came and sat next to him. 2Then Jesus began teaching the people. He said,
3“Great blessings belong to those who know they are spiritually in need.#5:3 those … in need Literally, “the poor in spirit.”
God’s kingdom belongs to them.
4Great blessings belong to those who are sad now.
God will comfort them.
5Great blessings belong to those who are humble.
They will be given the land God promised.#5:5 They will … promised This is the meaning of these words in Ps. 37:11. Here, they probably refer to a spiritual “promised land,” but they can also mean “The earth will belong to them.”
6Great blessings belong to those who want to do right more than anything else.#5:6 want … more than anything else Literally, “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
God will fully satisfy them.
7Great blessings belong to those who show mercy to others.
Mercy will be given to them.
8Great blessings belong to those whose thoughts are pure.
They will be with God.
9Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace.
God will call them his sons and daughters.
10Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right.
God’s kingdom belongs to them.
11“People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you. 12Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.
You Are Like Salt and Light
(Mk. 9:50; 4:21; Lk. 14:34–35; 8:16)
13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.
14“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
Jesus and the Old Testament Writings
17“Don’t think that I have come to destroy the Law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have come not to destroy their teachings but to give full meaning to them. 18I assure you that 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 it has all been done.
19“A person should obey every command in the law, even one that does not seem important. Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches others not to obey it will be the least important in God’s kingdom. But whoever obeys the law and teaches others to obey it will be great in God’s kingdom. 20I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not more pleasing to God than they are, you will never enter God’s kingdom.
Jesus Teaches About Anger
21“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone.#Quote from Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17. Any person who commits murder will be judged.’ 22But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23“So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you? 24Leave your gift there and go make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift.
25“If anyone wants to take you to court, make friends with them quickly. Try to do that before you get to the court. If you don’t, they might hand you over to the judge. And the judge will hand you over to a guard, who will throw you into jail. 26I assure you that you will not leave there until you have paid everything you owe.
Jesus Teaches About Sexual Sin
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’#Quote from Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18. 28But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind. 29If your right eye makes you sin, 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. 30If your right hand makes you sin, 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
(Mt. 19:9; Mk. 10:11–12; Lk. 16:18)
31“It was also said, ‘Any man who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’#Quote from Deut. 24:1. 32But I tell you that any man who divorces his wife, except for the problem of sexual sin, is causing his wife to be guilty of adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman is guilty of adultery.
Jesus Teaches About Making Promises
33“You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a vow, you must not break your promise. Keep the vows that you make to the Lord.’#5:33 See Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21. 34But I tell you, when you make a promise, don’t try to make it stronger with a vow. Don’t make a vow using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. 35Don’t make a vow using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to him.#5:35 the earth … him Literally, “it is the footstool of his feet.” Don’t make a vow using the name of Jerusalem, because it also belongs to him, the great King. 36And don’t even say that your own head is proof that you will keep your promise. You cannot make one hair on your head white or black. 37Say only ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ and say only ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ If you say more than that, it is from the Evil One.
Jesus Teaches About Fighting Back
(Lk. 6:29–30)
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’#Quote from Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20. 39But I tell you, don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. 40If anyone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. 41If a soldier forces you to walk with him one mile,#5:41 one mile Literally, “one milion,” about 1.5 km. go with him two. 42Give to anyone who asks you for something. Don’t refuse to give to anyone who wants to borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
(Lk. 6:27–28, 32–36)
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor#Quote from Lev. 19:18. and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly. 45If you do this, you will be children who are truly like your Father in heaven. He lets the sun rise for all people, whether they are good or bad. He sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. 46If you love only those who love you, why should you get a reward for that? Even the tax collectors do that. 47And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than anyone else. Even the people who don’t know God are nice to their friends. 48What I am saying is that you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 5
5
Jesus Teaches the Disciples and Crowds
1Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him. 2Then he began to teach them.
Jesus Gives Blessings
He said,
3“Blessed are those who are spiritually needy.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
4Blessed are those who are sad.
They will be comforted.
5Blessed are those who are humble.
They will be given the earth.
6Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right.
They will be filled.
7Blessed are those who show mercy.
They will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are those whose hearts are pure.
They will see God.
9Blessed are those who make peace.
They will be called children of God.
10Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
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. 12Be 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. 15Also, 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. 16In 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. 18What 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. 19Do 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. 20Here 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.’ 22But 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. 24Leave 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. 26What 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) 28But 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. 29If 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. 30If 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) 32But 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.’ 34But 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. 35Do 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. 36And do not make a promise in your own name. You can’t make even one hair of your head white or black. 37All 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) 39But 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. 40Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let them have your coat also. 41Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them. 42Give 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.’ 44But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. 45Then 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. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. 47If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. 48So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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