1 O ne Sabbath while Jesus was passing through the fields of standing grain, it occurred that His disciples picked some of the spikes and ate, rubbing it out in their hands.

And it came to pass, on the second-first sabbath, as he is going through the corn fields, that his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating, rubbing with the hands,

2 B ut some of the Pharisees asked them, Why are you doing what is not permitted to be done on the Sabbath days?

and certain of the Pharisees said to them, `Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?'

3 A nd Jesus replied to them, saying, Have you never so much as read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him?—

And Jesus answering said unto them, `Did ye not read even this that David did, when he hungered, himself and those who are with him,

4 H ow he went into the house of God and took and ate the loaves of the showbread, which it is not permitted for any except only the priests to eat, and also gave to those with him?

how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did take, and did eat, and gave also to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat, except only to the priests?'

5 A nd He said to them, The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

and he said to them, -- `The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.'

6 A nd it occurred on another Sabbath that when He went into the synagogue and taught, a man was present whose right hand was withered.

And it came to pass also, on another sabbath, that he goeth into the synagogue, and teacheth, and there was there a man, and his right hand was withered,

7 A nd the scribes and the Pharisees kept watching Jesus to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they might get accusation against Him.

and the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him, if on the sabbath he will heal, that they might find an accusation against him.

8 B ut He was aware all along of their thoughts, and He said to the man with the withered hand, Come and stand here in the midst. And he arose and stood there.

And he himself had known their reasonings, and said to the man having the withered hand, `Rise, and stand in the midst;' and he having risen, stood.

9 T hen Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good '> so that someone derives advantage from it] or to do evil, to save a life '> make a soul safe] or to destroy it?

Then said Jesus unto them, `I will question you something: Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save or to kill?'

10 T hen He glanced around at them all and said to the man, Stretch out your hand! And he did so, and his hand was fully restored like the other one.

And having looked round on them all, he said to the man, `Stretch forth thy hand;' and he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other;

11 B ut they were filled with lack of understanding and senseless rage and discussed (consulted) with one another what they might do to Jesus.

and they were filled with madness, and were speaking with one another what they might do to Jesus.

12 N ow in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.

And it came to pass in those days, he went forth to the mountain to pray, and was passing the night in the prayer of God,

13 A nd when it was day, He summoned His disciples and selected from them twelve, whom He named apostles (special messengers):

and when it became day, he called near his disciples, and having chosen from them twelve, whom also he named apostles,

14 T hey were Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;

(Simon, whom also he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15 A nd Matthew and Thomas; and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

Matthew and Thomas, James of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

16 A nd Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor (a treacherous, basely faithless person).

Judas of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also became betrayer;)

17 A nd Jesus came down with them and took His stand on a level spot, with a great crowd of His disciples and a vast throng of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to listen to Him and to be cured of their diseases—

and having come down with them, he stood upon a level spot, and a crowd of his disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea, and Jerusalem, and the maritime Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their sicknesses,

18 E ven those who were disturbed and troubled with unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

and those harassed by unclean spirits, and they were healed,

19 A nd all the multitude were seeking to touch Him, for healing power was all the while going forth from Him and curing them all '> saving them from severe illnesses or calamities].

and all the multitude were seeking to touch him, because power from him was going forth, and he was healing all.

20 A nd solemnly lifting up His eyes on His disciples, He said: Blessed (happy— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you poor and lowly and afflicted (destitute of wealth, influence, position, and honor), for the kingdom of God is yours!

And he, having lifted up his eyes to his disciples, said: `Happy the poor -- because yours is the reign of God.

21 B lessed (happy— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you who hunger and seek with eager desire now, for you shall be filled and completely satisfied! Blessed (happy— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you who weep and sob now, for you shall laugh!

`Happy those hungering now -- because ye shall be filled. `Happy those weeping now -- because ye shall laugh.

22 B lessed (happy— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you when people despise (hate) you, and when they exclude and excommunicate you and revile and denounce you and defame and cast out and spurn your name as evil (wicked) on account of the Son of Man.

`Happy are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach, and shall cast forth your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake --

23 R ejoice and be glad at such a time and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven; for even so their forefathers treated the prophets.

rejoice in that day, and leap, for lo, your reward great in the heaven, for according to these things were their fathers doing to the prophets.

24 B ut woe to (alas for) you who are rich ( abounding in material resources), for you already are receiving your consolation (the solace and sense of strengthening and cheer that come from prosperity) and have taken and enjoyed your comfort in full.

`But wo to you -- the rich, because ye have got your comfort.

25 W oe to (alas for) you who are full now (completely filled, luxuriously gorged and satiated), for you shall hunger and suffer want! Woe to (alas for) you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep and wail!

`Wo to you who have been filled -- because ye shall hunger. `Wo to you who are laughing now -- because ye shall mourn and weep.

26 W oe to (alas for) you when everyone speaks fairly and handsomely of you and praises you, for even so their forefathers did to the false prophets.

`Wo to you when all men shall speak well of you -- for according to these things were their fathers doing to false prophets.

27 B ut I say to you who are listening now to Me: '> in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,

`But I say to you who are hearing, Love your enemies, do good to those hating you,

28 I nvoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you.

bless those cursing you, and pray for those accusing you falsely;

29 T o the one who strikes you on the jaw or cheek, offer the other jaw or cheek also; and from him who takes away your outer garment, do not withhold your undergarment as well.

and to him smiting thee upon the cheek, give also the other, and from him taking away from thee the mantle, also the coat thou mayest not keep back.

30 G ive away to everyone who begs of you '> in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again.

`And to every one who is asking of thee, be giving; and from him who is taking away thy goods, be not asking again;

31 A nd as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them.

and as ye wish that men may do to you, do ye also to them in like manner;

32 I f you love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the sinners love their lovers (those who love them).

and -- if ye love those loving you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful love those loving them;

33 A nd if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same.

and if ye do good to those doing good to you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful do the same;

34 A nd if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again.

and if ye lend of whom ye hope to receive back, what grace have ye? for also the sinful lend to sinners -- that they may receive again as much.

35 B ut love your enemies and be kind and do good '> so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.

`But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward will be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest, because He is kind unto the ungracious and evil;

36 S o be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is.

be ye therefore merciful, as also your Father is merciful.

37 J udge not, and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released.

`And judge not, and ye may not be judged; condemn not, and ye may not be condemned; release, and ye shall be released.

38 G ive, and will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into the bosom. For with the measure you deal out, it will be measured back to you.

`Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed, and shaken, and running over, they shall give into your bosom; for with that measure with which ye measure, it shall be measured to you again.'

39 H e further told them a proverb: Can a blind guide and direct a blind ? Will they not both stumble into a ditch or a hole in the ground?

And he spake a simile to them, `Is blind able to lead blind? shall they not both fall into a pit?

40 A pupil is not superior to his teacher, but everyone completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, and perfected) will be like his teacher.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one perfected shall be as his teacher.

41 W hy do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice or consider the beam that is in your own eye?

`And why dost thou behold the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and the beam that in thine own eye dost not consider?

42 O r how can you say to your brother, Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You actor (pretender, hypocrite)! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

or how art thou able to say to thy brother, Brother, suffer, I may take out the mote that in thine eye -- thyself the beam in thine own eye not beholding? Hypocrite, take first the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to take out the mote that in thy brother's eye.

43 F or there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit.

`For there is not a good tree making bad fruit, nor a bad tree making good fruit;

44 F or each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush.

for each tree from its own fruit is known, for not from thorns do they gather figs, nor from a bramble do they crop a grape.

45 T he upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

`The good man out of the good treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which evil; for out of the abounding of the heart doth his mouth speak.

46 W hy do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I tell you?

`And why do ye call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?

47 F or everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and does them, I will show you what he is like:

Every one who is coming unto me, and is hearing my words, and is doing them, I will shew you to whom he is like;

48 H e is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock.

he is like to a man building a house, who did dig, and deepen, and laid a foundation upon the rock, and a flood having come, the stream broke forth on that house, and was not able to shake it, for it had been founded upon the rock.

49 B ut he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great.

`And he who heard and did not, is like to a man having builded a house upon the earth, without a foundation, against which the stream brake forth, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house became great.'