Matthew 5-7

Modern English Version

The Sermon on the Mount^(A)

5 Now seeing the crowds, He went up on a mountain. And when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

The Beatitudes^(B)

² And He began speaking and taught them, saying:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light^(C)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Teaching About the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one dot or one mark will pass from the law until all be fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven.

Teaching About Anger

²¹ “You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not murder,’^[a] and ‘Whoever murders shall be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be in danger of the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³ “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go on your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Reconcile with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I say to you, you will by no means come out of there until you have paid the last penny.^[b]

Teaching About Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[c] 28} But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Teaching About Divorce^(D)

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[d] 32} But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.

Teaching About Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’^{[e] 34} But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these comes from the evil one.

Teaching About Revenge^(E)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’^{[f] 39} But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other as well. ⁴⁰ And if anyone sues you in a court of law and takes away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever compels you to go a mile,^[g] go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who would borrow from you do not turn away.

Love for Enemies^(F)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor^[h] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Teaching About Charitable Giving

6 “Be sure that you not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

² “Therefore, when you do your charitable deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do your charitable deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deeds may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Lord’s Prayer^(G)

⁵ “When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. ⁷ But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.

⁹ “Therefore pray in this manner:

¹⁴ For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

Teaching About Fasting

¹⁶ “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces so they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you will not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Treasures in Heaven^(H)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in nor steal, ²¹ for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Light of the Body^(I)

²² “The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is unclear, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

God and Money

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Care and Anxiety^(J)

²⁵ “Therefore, I say to you, take no thought about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? ²⁷ Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit^[i] to his stature?

²⁸ “Why take thought about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: They neither work, nor do they spin. ²⁹ Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. ³⁰ Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you. ³⁴ Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.

Judging Others^(K)

7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, it will be measured again for you.

³ “And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me pull the speck out of your eye,’ when a log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn around and attack you.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(L)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

⁹ “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, everything you would like men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate^(M)

¹³ “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, ¹⁴ because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(N)

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore, by their fruit you will know them.

I Never Knew You^(O)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’ ²³ But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’^[j]

The Two Housebuilders^(P)

²⁴ “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. ²⁵ And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded a rock. ²⁶ And every one who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell. And its fall was great.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished these sayings, the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.