see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be glad for great is your reward in heaven: : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men. Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under a bushel, but on the lampstand; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to complete. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot [i.e. the smallest letter] or one tittle [i.e. a small stroke] will in no wise pass from the law, till all things come to pass. Whosoever 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 whosoever shall do and teach them, that one will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, Except your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. CHAPTER IV. YE have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill will be liable to the judgment: but I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his brother (without a cause) will be liable to the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [i.e. empty, vain], will be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Moreh [i.e. impious], will be liable to the Gehenna of fire [i.e. capital punishment]. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But your word shall be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for what is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, Resist not evil: but whosoever smites thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And to him that desires to sue thee at law, and take away thy coat, give up thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies (bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you), and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be the children 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. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans so? And if ye salute your brethren only, what remarkable thing do ye? do not even the heathen so ? Be ye therefore perfect, since your heavenly Father is perfect. CHAPTER V. TAKE heed lest ye do your righteous deeds before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be held in honour by men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of open spaces, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber, 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. But when ye pray, do not babble like the heathen: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them : for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Thus therefore pray |