27 Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt not com28 mit adultery."* But I say to you, that whoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with 29 her already in his heart. And if thy right eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, than 30 that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, than that thy whole body should go away into hell. 31 And it was said, "Whoever shall put away his wife, let 32 him give her a writing of divorcement."† But I say to you, that whoever putteth away his wife, unless it be on account of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whoever shall marry her when put away, committeth adultery. Again ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, “Thou shalt not swear falsely, but shalt perform to 34 the Lord thine oaths." But I say to you, Swear not at 35 all; neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by 33 the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is 36 the city of the Great King; nor shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your language be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatever is more than these cometh of evil. 38 Ye have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, 39 and a tooth for a tooth."§ But I say to you, that ye resist not the evil-doer; but whoever smiteth thee on the 40 right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one intends to sue thee at the law, and take thy coat, give up to 41 him thy cloak also; and whoever shall compel thee to go Ver. 37. of evil. Or, from the Evil One. * Exod. xx. 14. † Deut. xxiv. 1. † Exod. xx. 7; Lev. xix. 12; Numb. xxx. 2; Deut. xxiii. 21. § Exod. xxi. 24; Lev. xxiv. 20; Deut. xix. 21. 42 one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh of thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not 43 away. Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt love thy 44 neighbor, and hate thine enemy."* But I say to you, Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute 45 you; that ye may become sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love those who love you, what reward have 47 ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye that excelleth? Do 48 not even the heathen the same? Be ye therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. VI. But take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward 2 with your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Truly do I say to you, 3 They have received their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 4 doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee. 5 And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Truly do I say to you, They have received their 6 reward. But do thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the * Lev. xix. 18. heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for 8 the multitude of their words. Be not ye therefore like them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have 9 need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; 10 thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us 13 our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 12 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 15 Father will also forgive you; but if ye do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly do I say to you, 17 They have received their reward. But do thou, when thou 18 fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not to men to be fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where the moth and rust consume, and where thieves break 20 through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumeth, and 21 where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where 22 thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If thine eye be clear, thy whole 23 body will be in light; but if thine eye be disordered, thy whole body will be in darkness. If then the light that is within thee is darkness, how great that dark Ver. 9-13. Comp. Luke xi. 2–4. Ver. 11. our daily bread. Otherwise, our needful bread. 24 ness! No one can No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one, and love the other; or else he will cleave to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and 25 mammon. Therefore I say to you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the 26 body than raiment? Behold the birds of the air, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much greater 27 value than they? But who of you by anxious thought can 28 add to his life one cubit? And why are ye anxious about raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 29 They toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one 30 of these. And if God so clothes the herbage of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into an oven, will he 31 not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall 32 we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all 34 these things will also be given you. Be not then anxious about the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. VII. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judg2 ment ye judge, ye will be judged; and with what meas3 ure ye mete, it will be measured to you. And why dost thou look at the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and 4 not perceive the beam in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me take the mote out of 5 thine eye; when, lo! the beam is in thine own eye? Hypo Ver. 25-33. Comp. Luke xii. 22–31. 6 crite! first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then wilt thou see clearly to take the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn upon you and rend you. 7 Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and ye will find; 8 knock, and the door will be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; 9 and to him that knocketh, the door will be opened. Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask for bread, 10 will give him a stone? or, if he ask for a fish, will give 11 him a serpent? If ye then, though evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to them 12 that ask him! All things, then, whatever ye would that men should do to you, do ye also so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 Enter in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction; and many are they 14 who go in thereat. For strait is the gate, and narrow the way, that leadeth to life; and few are they who find it. 15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in 16 sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Ye may know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes 17 of thorns, or figs of thistles? So every good tree bear18 eth good fruit; but a bad tree beareth bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good 19 fruit. Every tree that beareth not good fruit is cut down, 20 and cast into the fire. So then ye may know them by their fruits. 21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, will enter Ver. 7-11. Comp. Luke xi. 9-13. Ver. 13, 14. The words "is the gate" are inclosed in brackets by Tischendorf, to indicate that he regards them as of doubtful genuineness. |