Blessed are the meek,
(those who are humble),
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt
and Light
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its
saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot
be hidden. Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your
light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
Father in heaven.
The
Fulfillment of the Law
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a
pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets
aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be
called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these
commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless
your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law,
you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You
shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who
is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again,
anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the
court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in
front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer
your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to
court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may
hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and
you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid
the last penny.
Adultery
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit
adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you
to stumble, 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. And if your right hand causes
you to stumble, 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 go into hell.
Divorce
It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his
wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and
anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago,
‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear
an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is
his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your
head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply
‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Eye
for Eye
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you
on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue
you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go
one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from
the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love
for Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may
be children 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. If you love those who love
you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your
own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as
your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew Chapter 6
Giving
to the Needy
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of
others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father
in heaven.
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with
trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be
honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the
needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in
secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by
others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into
your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not
keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of
their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need
before you ask him.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father
will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for
they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your
face, so that it
will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father,
who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you.
Treasures
in Heaven
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths
and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves
do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are
healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are
unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the
light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and
love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money.
Do
Not Worry
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you
will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your
life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which
is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more
clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew Chapter 7
Judging
Others
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge
others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured
to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your
brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a
plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to
pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you
to pieces.
Ask,
Seek, Knock
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a
stone? Or if he asks
for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good
gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them
do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The
Narrow and Wide Gates
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True
and False Prophets
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will
recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.
True
and False Disciples
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. Many will say
to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your
name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The
Wise and Foolish Builders
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not
fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these
words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who
built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew
and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
When
Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his
teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their
teachers of the law. *
* https://biblehub.com/niv
