Matthew 5:22–44

²²But now I tell you: whoever is angry^b with his brother will be brought to trial, whoever calls his brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Council, and whoever calls his brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. ²³So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

²⁵“If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute with him while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, he will hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put in jail. ²⁶There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the last penny of your fine.

Teaching about Adultery

^27*“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. ^29*So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. ^30*If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than for your whole body to go to hell.

Teaching about Divorce

^31*“It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’ ^32*But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife, for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also.

Teaching about Vows

^33*“You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ ^34*But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ^35*nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One.

Teaching about Revenge

^38*“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. ⁴⁰And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. ⁴¹And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one kilometre, carry it two kilometres. ⁴²When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to him.

Love for Enemies

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ ⁴⁴But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,