- Matthew
- <
- 5
- >

5
The Beatitudes
1 And seeing the crowds, He went up into the mountain, and after He had sat down, His disciples approached Him. 2 And opening His mouth, He 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 meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 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 righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you whenever they revile you, and they persecute you, and they say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be salted? It is then good for nothing but to be cast 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 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on everything 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.
The Law and the Prophets
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 assuredly I say to you, until heaven and earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle shall by no means pass away from the law until all things are fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Concerning Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. 22 But I say to you that whoever gets angry with his brother without cause will be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Empty-head!’ will be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘fool!’ will be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you offer your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends with your adversary quickly, while you are on the road with him, lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Assuredly I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Concerning Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you, that whoever looks at a woman in order to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members be lost, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members be lost, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Concerning Divorce
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a divorce certificate.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorcee commits adultery.
Concerning Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall pay your oaths to the Lord.’ 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 are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 But let your word be ‘Yes’, ‘yes,’ or ‘No,’ ‘no.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Concerning Retaliation
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 not to resist an evil person. But whoever shall slap you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And to the one desiring to sue you and to take your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one asking you, and to the one desiring to borrow from you, do not turn away.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and you shall 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 mistreat you and persecute you, 45 so that you may prove to be sons of your Father in heaven; because He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and He 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 friends only, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 48 You therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

- Matthew
- <
- 5
- >

© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito