Matthew 5:14–48

¹⁴“You are ^athe light of the world. A city set on a ¹hill cannot be hidden;

^15anor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a ¹basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

¹⁶“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may ^asee your good works, and ^bglorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷“Do not think that I came to abolish the ^aLaw or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

¹⁸“For truly I say to you, ^auntil heaven and earth pass away, not ¹the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

¹⁹“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches ¹others to do the same, shall be called least ^ain the kingdom of heaven; but whoever ²keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰“For I say to you that unless your ^arighteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Personal Relationships

²¹“^aYou have heard that ¹the ancients were told, ‘^bYou shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be ²liable to ^cthe court.’

²²“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be ¹guilty before ^athe court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘²You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before ^3bthe supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the ^4cfiery hell.

²³“Therefore if you are ^apresenting your ¹offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

²⁴leave your ¹offering there before the altar and go; first be ^areconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

²⁵“^aMake friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

²⁶“Truly I say to you, ^ayou will not come out of there until you have paid up the last ¹cent.

²⁷“^aYou have heard that it was said, ‘^bYou shall not commit adultery’;

²⁸but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman ^awith lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹“^aIf your right eye makes you ¹stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you ²to lose one of the parts of your body, ³than for your whole body to be thrown into ^4bhell.

³⁰“^aIf your right hand makes you ¹stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you ²to lose one of the parts of your body, ³than for your whole body to go into ^4bhell.

³¹“It was said, ‘^aWhoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’;

^32abut I say to you that everyone who ¹divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a ²divorced woman commits adultery.

³³“Again, ^ayou have heard that ¹the ancients were told, ‘^2bYou shall not ³make false vows, but shall fulfill your ⁴vows to the Lord.’

³⁴“But I say to you, ^amake no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is ^bthe throne of God,

³⁵or by the earth, for it is the ^afootstool of His feet, or ¹by Jerusalem, for it is ^bthe city of the great King.

³⁶“Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

³⁷“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is ¹of ^aevil.

³⁸“^aYou have heard that it was said, ‘^bAn eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

³⁹“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but ^awhoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

⁴⁰“If anyone wants to sue you and take your ¹shirt, let him have your ²coat also.

⁴¹“Whoever ¹forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

⁴²“^aGive to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³“^aYou have heard that it was said, ‘^bYou shall love your neighbor ^cand hate your enemy.’

⁴⁴“But I say to you, ^alove your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵so that you may ¹be ^asons of your Father who is 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“For ^aif you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

⁴⁷“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

⁴⁸“Therefore ^1ayou are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.