Matthew 5

The AIT Bible

1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

The Beatitudes

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you on account of me.

12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, with what will it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.

14You are the light of the world. A city situated on a mountain cannot be hidden.

15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus and the Law

17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.

18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not one serif, will by no means pass away from the Law until all is accomplished.

19Therefore, whoever annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20For I say to you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

On Anger

21You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’

22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be liable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

23Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25Come to terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26Truly I say to you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last coin.

On Lust

27You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to go into hell.

On Divorce

31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

On Oaths

33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’

34But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

35nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King;

36nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

37But let your word be ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.

On Retaliation

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40And to the one who wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48You therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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