Matthew 5:1–16

Jesus Teaches the People

5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him, ²and he began to teach them, saying:

³“They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

⁴They are blessed who grieve,

for God will comfort them.

⁵They are blessed who are humble,

for the whole earth will be theirs.

⁶They are blessed who hunger and thirst after justice,

for they will be satisfied.

⁷They are blessed who show mercy to others,

for God will show mercy to them.

⁸They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,

for they will see God.

⁹They are blessed who work for peace,

for they will be called God’s children.

¹⁰They are blessed who are persecuted for doing good,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

¹¹“People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.

You Are Like Salt and Light

¹³“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on.

¹⁴“You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.