| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, | 1When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. |
| 2and he began to teach them. The Beatitudes | 2Then He began to teach them, saying: |
| 3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. | 3"The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. |
| 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. | 4Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. |
| 5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. | 5The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. |
| 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. | 6Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. |
| 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. | 7The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. |
| 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. | 8The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. |
| 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. | 9The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. |
| 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. | 10Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. |
| 11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. | 11"You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. |
| 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. Teaching about Salt and Light | 12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. |
| 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. | 13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. |
| 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. | 14"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. |
| 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. | 15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. |
| 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Teaching about the Law | 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. |
| 17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. | 17"Don't assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. |
| 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. | 18For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. |
| 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. | 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so 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. |
| 20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Teaching about Anger | 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ | 21"You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. |
| 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. | 22But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Fool!' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, You moron!' will be subject to hellfire. |
| 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, | 23So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, |
| 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. | 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. |
| 25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. | 25Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you're on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. |
| 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny. Teaching about Adultery | 26I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! |
| 27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ | 27"You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. |
| 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | 28But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. |
| 29 So if your eye—even your good eye —causes you to lust, 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. | 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. |
| 30 And if your hand—even your stronger 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 be thrown into hell. Teaching about Divorce | 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell! |
| 31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ | 31"It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce. |
| 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. Teaching about Vows | 32But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. |
| 33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD .’ | 33"Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. |
| 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. | 34But I tell you, don't take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God's throne; |
| 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. | 35or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. |
| 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. | 36Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. |
| 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. Teaching about Revenge | 37But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one. |
| 38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ | 38"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. |
| 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. | 39But I tell you, don't resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. |
| 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. | 40As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. |
| 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. | 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. |
| 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. Teaching about Love for Enemies | 42Give to the one who asks you, and don't turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. |
| 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. | 43"You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. |
| 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! | 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, |
| 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. | 45so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. |
| 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. | 46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? |
| 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. | 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don't even the Gentiles do the same? |
| 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. | 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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