Matthew 5

Modern

Literal

The Sermon on the Mount

¹When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him,

¹And having seen the crowds, He went up onto the mountain. And on His having sat down, His disciples came to Him.

²and He began to teach them, saying:

²And having opened His mouth, He was teaching them, saying:

The Beatitudes

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

⁴Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

⁴Blessed are those mourning, because they will be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.^a

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

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

⁶Blessed are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, because they will be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

⁷Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

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

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons of God.

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

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹⁰Blessed are those having been persecuted on account of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

¹¹Blessed are you when they may reproach you and may persecute you and may say all evil against you, lying, on account of Me.

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

¹²Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in the heavens; for thus they persecuted the prophets before you.

Salt and Light

¹³You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

¹³You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should become tasteless, with what will it be salted? For nothing is it potent any longer except, having been cast out, to be trampled upon by men.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city on a hill^a cannot be hidden.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city lying on a hill is not able to be hidden.

¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

¹⁵Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the basket, but upon the lampstand, and it shines to all those in the house.

¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

¹⁶Thus let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and may glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

The Fulfillment of the Law

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

¹⁷Do not suppose that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.

¹⁸For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

¹⁸For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth should pass away, not even one iota, or one stroke of a letter, shall pass away from the Law, until everything should come to pass.

¹⁹So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

¹⁹Whoever then may break one of the least of these commandments and may teach men thus, he will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever may do and may teach them, this one will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.

²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰For I say to you that unless your righteousness should abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall certainly not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Anger and Reconciliation

²¹You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’^a and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

²¹You heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not murder,’ and, ‘Whoever may murder will be liable to the judgment.’

²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother^a will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’^b will be subject to the Sanhedrin.^c But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.^d

²²But I say to you that everyone being angry with his brother will be liable to the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be liable to the Sanhedrin. But whoever may say, ‘Fool!’ will be liable to the Gehenna of fire.

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

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

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

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

²⁵Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

²⁵Be agreeing quickly with your adversary while you are with him in the way, lest ever the adversary may deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be cast into prison.

²⁶Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.^a

²⁶Truly I say to you, you shall never come out from there until you should pay back the last kodrantes.

Adultery

²⁷You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’^a

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

²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁸But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman in order to desire her already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.^a

²⁹Now 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 should perish and not that your whole body should be cast into Gehenna.

³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.

³⁰And 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 should perish and not that your whole body should go away into Gehenna.

Divorce

³¹It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^a

³¹And it was said, ‘Whoever may send away his wife, let him give to her a certificate of divorce.’

³²But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her.^a And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³²But I say to you that everyone sending away his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry her who has been sent away, he commits adultery.

Oaths and Vows

³³Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’^a

³³Again, you heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall repay your oaths to the Lord.’

³⁴But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

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

³⁵or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

³⁵nor by the earth, because it is the footstool for His feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

³⁶Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

³⁶Nor may you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.

³⁷Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.^a

³⁷But let your word ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and ‘No,’ ‘No.’ And that which is more than these comes from the evil one.

Love Your Enemies

³⁸You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’^a

³⁸You heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

³⁹But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;

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

⁴⁰if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

⁴⁰And the one wanting to sue you and to take your tunic, yield to him also the cloak.

⁴¹and if someone forces you to go one mile,^a go with him two miles.^b

⁴¹And whoever will compel you to go one milion, 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.

⁴²To the one asking you, you should give, and from the one wanting to borrow from you, you should not turn away.

⁴³You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’^a and ‘Hate your enemy.’

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

⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,^a

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

⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

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

⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

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

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

⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what extraordinary thing do you do? Do not also the Gentiles do the same?

⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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