The Teaching of Christ

The Gospel of Matthew  (Chapters 5,6,7)

 

 

Chapter 5

1

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain,

and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him.

2

And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:

3

Blessed are the poor in spirit:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4

Blessed are the meek:

for they shall possess the land.

5

Blessed are they that mourn:

for they shall be comforted.

6

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice:

for they shall have their fill.

7

Blessed are the merciful:

for they shall obtain mercy.

8

Blessed are the clean of heart:

for they shall see God.

9

Blessed are the peacemakers:

for they shall be called children of God.

10

Blessed are they that suffer persecution

for justice’ sake:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11

Blessed are ye when they shall revile you,

and persecute you,

and speak all that is evil against you, untruly,

for my sake:

12

Be glad and rejoice,

for your reward is very great in heaven. 

For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

13

You are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt lose its savour,

wherewith shall it be salted? 

It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out,

and to be trodden on by men.

14

You are the light of the world.

A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.

15

Neither do men light a candle

and put it under a bushel,

but upon a candlestick,

that it may shine to all that are in the house.

16

So let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17

Do not think that I am come to destroy

the law, or the prophets. 

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

18

For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass,

one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law,

till all be fulfilled.

19

He therefore that shall break

one of these least commandments,

and shall so teach men,

shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

But he that shall do and teach,

he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20

For I tell you, that unless your justice abound

more than that of the scribes and Pharisees,

you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21

You have heard that it was said to them of old:

You shall not kill.

And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger

of the judgment.

22

But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother,

shall be in danger of the judgment.

And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,

shall be in danger of the council.

And whosoever shall say, You Fool,

shall be in danger of hell fire.

23

If therefore you offer your gift at the altar,

and there you remember that your brother

has any thing against you;

24

Leave there your offering before the altar,

and go first to be reconciled to your brother:

and then coming you shall offer your gift.

25

Be at agreement with your adversary betimes,

while you are in the way with him:

lest perhaps the adversary deliver you to the judge,

and the judge deliver you to the officer,

and you be cast into prison.

26

Amen I say to you, you shall not go out from there

till you repay the last farthing.

27

You have heard that it was said to them of old:

You shall not commit adultery.

28

But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman

to lust after her,

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29

And if your right eye scandalize you,

pluck it out and cast it from you. 

For it is expedient for you

that one of your members should perish,

rather than that your whole body be cast into hell.

30

And if your right hand scandalize you,

cut it off, and cast it from you:

for it is expedient for you

that one of your members should perish,

rather than that your whole body be cast into hell.

31

And it has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife,

let him give her a bill of divorce.

32

But I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife,

excepting for the cause of fornication,

makes her to commit adultery:

and he that shall marry her that is put away,

commits adultery.

33

Again you have heard that it was said to them of old,

You shall not forswear yourself:

but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord.

34

But I say to you not to swear at all,

neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God:

35

Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool:

nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king:

36

Neither shall you swear by your head,

because you can not make one hair white or black.

37

But let your speech be yes, yes: no, no:

and that which is over and above these,

is of evil.

38

You have heard that it has been said,

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

39

But I say to you, not to resist evil:

but if one strike you on your right cheek,

turn to him also the other:

40

And if a man will contend with you in judgment,

and take away your coat,

let go your cloak also unto him.

41

And whosoever will force you one mile,

go with him other two,

42

Give to him that asks of you

and from him that would borrow of you turn not away.

43

You have heard that it has been said,

You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.

44

But I say to you, Love your enemies:

do good to them that hate you:

and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you:

45

That you may be the children

of your Father who is in heaven,

who makes his sun to rise upon the good, and bad,

and rains upon the just and the unjust.

46

For if you love them that love you,

what reward shall you have?

do not even the publicans this?

47

And if you salute your brethren only,

what do you more? 

do not also the heathens this?

48

Be you therefore perfect,

as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Chapter 6

1

Take heed that you do not your justice before men,

to be seen by them:

otherwise you shall not have a reward

of your Father who is in heaven.

2

Therefore when you do an almsdeed,

sound not a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do

in the synagogues and in the streets,

that they may be honoured by men.

Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

3

But when you do alms,

let not your left hand know what your right hand does.

4

That your alms may be in secret,

and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

5

And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites,

that love to stand and pray

in the synagogues and corners of the streets,

that they may be seen by men: 

Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

6

But you when you shall pray,

enter into your chamber,

and having shut the door,

pray to your Father in secret:

and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

7

And when you are praying,

speak not much, as the heathens. 

For they think that in their much speaking

they may be heard.

8

Be not you therefore like to them,

for your Father knows what is needful for you,

before you ask him.

9

Thus therefore shall you pray:

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.

11

Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.

12

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

13

And lead us not into temptation. 

But deliver us from evil.  Amen.

14

For if you will forgive men their offences,

your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences.

15

But if you will not forgive men,

neither will your Father forgive you your offences.

16

And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad.

For they disfigure their faces,

that they may appear unto men to fast.

Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

17

But you, when you fast anoint your head,

and wash your face;

18

That you appear not to men to fast,

but to your Father who is in secret:

and your Father who sees in secret,

will repay you.

19

Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth:

where the rust, and moth consume,

and where thieves break through and steal.

20

But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven:

where neither the rust nor moth do consume,

and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.

21

For where your treasure is,

there is your heart also.

22

The light of your body is your eye.

If your eye be single,

your whole body shall be lightsome.

23

But if your eye be evil your whole body shall be darksome.

If then the light that is in you, be darkness:

the darkness itself how great shall it be!

24

No man can serve two masters.

For either he will hate the one,

and love the other:

or he will sustain the one, and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

25

Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life,

what you shall eat,

nor for your body,

what you shall put on.

Is not the life more than the meat:

and the body more than the raiment?

26

Behold the birds of the air,

for they neither sow,

nor do they reap,

nor gather into barns:

and your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are not you of much more value than they?

27

And which of you by taking thought,

can add to his stature one cubit?

28

And for raiment why are you solicitous?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:

they labour not, neither do they spin.

29

But I say to you,

that not even Solomon in all his glory

was arrayed as one of these.

30

And if the grass of the field, which is to day,

and to morrow is cast into the oven,

God does so clothe:

how much more you, O ye of little faith?

31

Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat:

or what shall we drink, or

wherewith shall we be clothed?

32

For after all these things do the heathens seek.

For your Father knows that you have need

of all these things.

33

Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God,

and his justice,

and all these things shall be added unto you.

34

Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow;

for the morrow will be solicitous for itself.

Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

 

Chapter 7

1

Judge not, that you may not be judged.

2

For with what judgment you judge,

you shall be judged:

and with what measure you mete,

it shall be measured to you again.

3

And why see you the mote that is in your brother’s eye;

and see not the beam that is in your own eye?

4

Or how say you to your brother:

Let me cast the mote out of your eye;

and behold a beam is in your own eye?

5

You hypocrite,

cast out first the beam in your own eye,

and then shall you see to cast out the mote

out of your brother’s eye.

6

Give not that which is holy to dogs;

neither cast ye your pearls before swine,

lest perhaps they trample them under their feet,

and turning upon you,

they tear you.

7

Ask, and it shall be given you:

seek, and you shall find:

knock, and it shall be opened to you.

8

For every one that asks, receives:

and he that seeks, finds:

and to him that knocks,

it shall be opened.

9

Or what man is there among you,

of whom if his son shall ask bread,

will he reach him a stone?

10

Or if he shall ask him a fish,

will reach him a serpent?

11

If you then being 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 that ask him?

12

All things therefore whatsoever you would

that men should do to you,

do you also to them.

For this is the law and the prophets.

13

Enter ye in at the narrow gate:

for wide is the gate, and broad is the way

that leads to destruction,

and many there are who go in thereat.

14

How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way

that leads to life:

and few there are that find it!

15

Beware of false prophets,

who come to you in the clothing of sheep,

but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16

By their fruits you shall know them.

Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17

Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit,

and the evil tree brings forth evil fruit.

18

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,

neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit.

19

Every tree that brings not forth good fruit,

shall be cut down,

and shall be cast into the fire.

20

Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

21

Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven:

but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven,

he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

22

Many will say to me in that day:

Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in your name,

and cast out devils in your name,

and done many miracles in your name?

23

And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me, you that work iniquity.

24

Every one therefore that hears these my words,

and does them,

shall be likened to a wise man

that built his house upon a rock,

25

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and they beat upon that house,

and it fell not,

for it was founded on a rock.

26

And every one that hears these my words,

and does them not,

shall be like a foolish man

that built his house upon the sand,

27

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and they beat upon that house,

and it fell,

and great was the fall thereof.

28

And it came to pass

when Jesus had fully ended these words,

the people were in admiration at his doctrine.

29

For he was teaching them as one having power,

and not as the scribes and Pharisees.