1 S eeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him.

And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him,

2 T hen He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:

3 B lessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

`Happy the poor in spirit -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

4 B lessed and enviably happy '> happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!

`Happy the mourning -- because they shall be comforted.

5 B lessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!

`Happy the meek -- because they shall inherit the land.

6 B lessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!

`Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness -- because they shall be filled.

7 B lessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!

`Happy the kind -- because they shall find kindness.

8 B lessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!

`Happy the clean in heart -- because they shall see God.

9 B lessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

`Happy the peacemakers -- because they shall be called Sons of God.

10 B lessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

`Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

11 B lessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.

`Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake --

12 B e glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.

rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

13 Y ou are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

`Ye are the salt of the land, but if the salt may lose savour, in what shall it be salted? for nothing is it good henceforth, except to be cast without, and to be trodden down by men.

14 Y ou are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

`Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a mount is not able to be hid;

15 N or do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all those in the house;

16 L et your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who in the heavens.

17 D o not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them.

`Do not suppose that I came to throw down the law or the prophets -- I did not come to throw down, but to fulfill;

18 F or truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook will pass from the Law until all things are accomplished.

for, verily I say to you, till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass.

19 W hoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

`Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands -- the least -- and may teach men so, least he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.

20 F or I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

`For I say to you, that if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens.

21 Y ou have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court.

`Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not kill, and whoever may kill shall be in danger of the judgment;

22 B ut I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire.

but I -- I say to you, that every one who is angry at his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, Empty fellow! shall be in danger of the sanhedrim, and whoever may say, Rebel! shall be in danger of the gehenna of the fire.

23 S o if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any against you,

`If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee,

24 L eave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.

leave there thy gift before the altar, and go -- first be reconciled to thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift.

25 C ome to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way traveling with him, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.

`Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast,

26 T ruly I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last fraction of a penny.

verily I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till that thou mayest pay the last farthing.

27 Y ou have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.

`Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery;

28 B ut I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

but I -- I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart.

29 I f your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna).

`But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

30 A nd if your right hand serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your entire body should be cast into hell (Gehenna).

`And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

31 I t has also been said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.

`And it was said, That whoever may put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce;

32 B ut I tell you, Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

but I -- I say to you, that whoever may put away his wife, save for the matter of whoredom, doth make her to commit adultery; and whoever may marry her who hath been put away doth commit adultery.

33 A gain, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not swear falsely, but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord.

`Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths;

34 B ut I tell you, Do not bind yourselves by an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

but I -- I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God,

35 O r by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king,

36 A nd do not swear by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black.

nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black;

37 L et your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.

38 Y ou have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

`Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth;

39 B ut I say to you, Do not resist the evil man; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too.

but I -- I say to you, not to resist the evil, but whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other;

40 A nd if anyone wants to sue you and take your undershirt (tunic), let him have your coat also.

and whoever is willing to take thee to law, and thy coat to take -- suffer to him also the cloak.

41 A nd if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

`And whoever shall impress thee one mile, go with him two,

42 G ive to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow '> at interest] from you.

to him who is asking of thee be giving, and him who is willing to borrow from thee thou mayest not turn away.

43 Y ou have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;

`Ye heard that it was said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and shalt hate thine enemy;

44 B ut I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

but I -- I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you,

45 T o show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers.

that ye may be sons of your Father in the heavens, because His sun He doth cause to rise on evil and good, and He doth send rain on righteous and unrighteous.

46 F or if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

`For, if ye may love those loving you, what reward have ye? do not also the tax-gatherers the same?

47 A nd if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?

and if ye may salute your brethren only, what do ye abundant? do not also the tax-gatherers so?

48 Y ou, therefore, must be perfect '> maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who in the heavens is perfect.