1 N ow on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

One 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.

2 B ut some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

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

3 J esus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

And 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?—

4 h ow he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”

How 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?

5 H e said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

And He said to them, The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

6 I t also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

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

7 T he scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

And 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.

8 B ut he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood.

But 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.

9 T hen Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”

Then 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?

10 H e looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.

Then 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.

11 B ut they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

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

12 I n these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

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

13 W hen it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

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

14 S imon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

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

15 M atthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

And Matthew and Thomas; and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

16 J udas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

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

17 H e came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

And 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—

18 a s well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

Even those who were disturbed and troubled with unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

19 A ll the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

And 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].

20 H e lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.

And 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!

21 B lessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

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 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!

22 B lessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

Blessed (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.

23 R ejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

Rejoice 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.

24 “ But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.

But 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.

25 W oe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe 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!

26 W oe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

Woe 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.

27 “ But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

But 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,

28 b less those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

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

29 T o him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.

To 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.

30 G ive to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

Give 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.

31 “ As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them.

32 I f you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

If 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).

33 I f you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

And 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.

34 I f you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

And 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.

35 B ut love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

But 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.

36 “ Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

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

37 D on’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

Judge 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.

38 “ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Give, 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.

39 H e spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

He 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?

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

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

41 W hy do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

Why 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?

42 O r how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.

Or 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.

43 F or there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.

For 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.

44 F or each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

For 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.

45 T he good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

The 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.

46 “ Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say?

Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I tell you?

47 E veryone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

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

48 H e is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.

He 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.

49 B ut he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

But 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.