Matthew 5
The Beatitudes, Promising Eternal Rewards (5:1–12)
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up into the mountain and sat down, and his disciples came unto him. 2 He opened his mouth and taught them, and said, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Blessed will be those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed will be the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed will be those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed will be the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed will be the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed will be the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be very happy, for great is your reward in the heavens, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
You Are the Salt of the Earth, and Let Your Light Shine (5:13–16)
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 outside and trampled by the people. 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 bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before the people in such a way that when they see your good works, they will glorify your Father who is in the heavens.”
Jesus Affirms the Vitality of the Law (5:17–20)
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 unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke will pass from the law until all is fulfilled. 19 And whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever keeps and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. 20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.”
The Law of Brotherly Kindness and Reconciliation (5:21–26)
21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not kill, and whoever shall kill will be liable to the court’ [Ex. 20:13]. 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be liable before the high court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to go into the fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your offering there at the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your sacrifice. 25 Be readily disposed to agree with your legal opponent quickly while you are together with him along the way, so that your opponent may not, in haste, hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you find yourself thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out from there until you have paid the last dime.”
The Full Law of Chasity (5:27–32)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’ [Ex. 20:14]. 28 But I say unto you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, rip it out and throw it away from you, for it is better for you to lose one of your body parts than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you, for it is better for you to lose one of your body parts than for your whole body to go away into Gehenna. 31 It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce’ [Deut. 24:1–4]. 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.”
The Law of Simple Honesty before God (5:33–37)
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall fulfill your covenants to the Lord’ [Lev. 19:12]. 34 But I say to you, Do not swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is a footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your word of promise simply be ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Anything more than these words is of the evil one.”
Law of Loving All People, Especially Your Enemies (5:38–48)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’ [Ex. 21:24]. 39 But I say to you, Do not stand up against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wishes 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 one who wants to borrow from you. 43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’ [Lev. 19:18]. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you 45 so that you may be children of your Father who is in the heavens, for he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 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 extraordinary thing are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, may you all be perfected, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
