Happy the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of "heaven"; Happy the mourners, for they shall be comforted; Happy the hungry and thirsty after righteousness, for they shall be filled; Happy the merciful, for they shall receive mercy; Happy the clean in heart, for they shall see God; Happy the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God; Happy the persecuted on account of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of "heaven.” [b] Happy are ye, when they shall reproach and persecute you, and shall speak every evil word against you, on account of me; rejoice and be glad, for your reward [shall be] great in "heaven," for thus they persecuted the teachers who were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth; if the salt become tasteless, how can it be made salt again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden on by men. Ye are the light of the world; a city set on a hill cannot be hid; neither do they light a lamp and put it under Is. lxvi. 2. Ps. xxxvii. 11. a measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all those in the house. So let your light give light before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in "heaven." 2. Think not that I am come to make an end of the law and the prophets; I am come not to make an end of but to make full. For in truth I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one dot or one line shall not pass away from the law, until all things shall be. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of "heaven," but whoever shall do and shall teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of "heaven." 3. I declare to you now, that unless your righteousness shall abound beyond the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of "heaven.” [a] 13. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old "Thou shalt Ex. xx. not kill," and whosoever shall commit murder will be in danger of "the judgment"; but I say to you that whosoever is angry with his brother will be in danger of "the judgment" ;"; and whosoever shall say to his brother 'thou vile fellow' will be in danger of "the council"; and whosoever shall say 'thou reprobate' will be in danger of "the Gehenna of fire." If therefore thou art carrying thy offering to 1. Three punishments are here mentioned in gradation of severity; "The judgment," a local tribunal, could only inflict slighter penalties; the "Council," or Sanhedrim, had more power, and the "Gehenna of fire" was the most severe doom of the greatest malefactor. (See Introduction.) In like manner three offences are mentioned of different degrees of criminality; first-anger; second-abuse, calling a man "Raca," that is vile and good for nothing; third-calumny, calling a man "Moreh" or fool, in the sense of his being destitute of the Hebrew quality of wisdom which included moral and religious as well as intellectual qualities. The whole passage might be thus paraphrased in modern language.-"He who indulges in anger deserves to be taken the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has something against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and bring thy offering. Come to an agreement with thy adversary quickly while thou art with him on the way [to the magistrate], lest afterwards thy adversary bring thee before the magistrate, and the magistrate deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison; truly I say to thee, thou wilt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing. [b] 14. Ye have heard that it has been said, "Thou shalt not commit Ex. XX. adultery," but I say to you that every man who looks on a woman lusting after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If thy right eye lead thee into sin, pull it out and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy limbs should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into "gehenna"; and if thy right hand lead thee into sin, cut it off and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy limbs should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into "gehenna." The lamp of the body is the eye; if then thy eye is single, thy whole body shall be enlightened, but if thy eye is evil, thy whole body shall be darkened; if then the light that is in thee be darkness, how great the darkness! [c] It has been said, "whoever wishes to divorce his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement"; But I say to you whosoever Deut. xxiv. divorces his wife, unless on account of fornication, makes before the magistrates; he who utters abuse deserves to be committed for trial at the assizes; he who by calumny ruins the character of another deserves to be hanged, drawn and quartered." 1. her commit adultery, and whosoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [d] Is. lxvi. 1. Again ye have heard that it has been said to them of old, "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform to the Lord thy oaths." But I say to you, swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king; nor shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou Ps. xlviii. canst not make one hair white or black. But let your word be "yea, yea,”—“nay, nay”; what is beyond these is from the evil [one]. [e] 24. 2. Ye have heard that it has been said "eye for eye, and tooth Ex. xxi. for tooth"; but I say to you not to stand against the evil [one], but whosoever shalt smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other, and whosoever wishes by going to law with thee, to take away thy coat, yield to him also the cloak; and whosoever shall press thee into his service to go with him one mile, go with him two; give to him that asks of thee and turn not away from him who wishes to borrow of thee. All things whatsoever ye wish that men should do to you, do ye also the same to them; for this is the law and the prophets. [f] Ye have heard that it has been said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy"; but I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you, that ye may be sons of your Father who is in "heaven," for He causes his sun to rise on bad and good. For if ye love those who love you, what reward have ye? do not even the tax-gatherers the same? And if ye salute your |