Matthew 2-7
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.' 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
7Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.'
9After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
14So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
15He stayed there until the death of Herod; this happened so that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 'OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.'
16Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.
17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,
20Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.'
21So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
23and came and settled in a city called Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: 'He will be called a Nazarene.'
Chapter 3
1Now in those days John the Baptist * came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
4Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan;
6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, 'You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;
9and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.
10And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.
11As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'
13Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.
14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?'
15But Jesus, answering, said to him, 'Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he *allowed Him.
16After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him,
17and behold, a voice from the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' 4But He answered and said, 'It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF God.’?'
6and he *said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their hands they will lift YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’?'
7Jesus said to him, 'On the other hand, it is written: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE Lord YOUR God TO THE TEST.’?'
8Again, the devil *took Him along to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
9and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.'
10Then Jesus *said to him, 'Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE Lord YOUR God, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’?'
11Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.
12Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;
13and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
14This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
15'THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES—
16THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.'
18Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19And He *said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.'
20Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
21Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them.
22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
24And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them.
25Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Chapter 5
1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
11Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!
19Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
21You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’
22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘ You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
23Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
25Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison.
26Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.
27You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;
28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
31Now it was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY IS TO GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’;
32but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘ YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE Lord.’
34But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
36Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37But make sure your statement is, ‘ Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.
38You have heard that it was said, ‘EYE FOR EYE, and TOOTH FOR TOOTH.’
39But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also.
40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
43You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may prove yourselves to be sons 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.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
8So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ’
14For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.
16Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
17But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
25For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?
27And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?
28And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’
32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
Chapter 7
1Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!
7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
11So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
13Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
14For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
17So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
24Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.'
King James Version
Chapter 2
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
Chapter 3
1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Chapter 4
1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
12Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
18And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
Chapter 5
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Chapter 7
1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him."
3When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born.
7Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.
8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him."
9After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.
10When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy.
11Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
13After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him."
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt.
15He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.
16Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.
17Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead."
21So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.
23Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Chapter 3
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!"
4Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him,
6and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
7When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.
9And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.
10The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out."
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
14But John tried to stop him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?"
16When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him.
17And a voice from heaven said: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased."
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3Then the tempter approached him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9And he said to him, "I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me."
12When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
13He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
14This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the road by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
16 The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
18As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.
19"Follow me," he told them, "and I will make you fish for people."
20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them.
22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them.
25Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Chapter 5
1When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11"You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.
12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.
15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shinebefore others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17"Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.
19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.
22But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
23So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
25Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.
28But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31"It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.
32But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.
34But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
36Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
38"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
39But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.
41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Chapter 6
1"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.
8Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
9"Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14"For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.
15But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.
16"Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19"Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
27Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying?
28And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.
30If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?
31So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
34Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Chapter 7
1"Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
7"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
12Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
14How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
15"Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.
16You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’
23Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
24"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash."
New Living Translation
Chapter 2
1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.'
3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, 'Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?'
7Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
8Then he told them, 'Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!'
9After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
14That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: 'I called my Son out of Egypt.'
16Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
17Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
20Get up!' the angel said. 'Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.'
21So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
22But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
23So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: 'He will be called a Nazarene.'
Chapter 3
1In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. '
4John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
5People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.
6And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. 'You brood of snakes!' he exclaimed. 'Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?
8Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.
9Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
10Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
11I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.'
13Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
14But John tried to talk him out of it. 'I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,' he said, 'so why are you coming to me?'
16After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.
17And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.'
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
8Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9I will give it all to you,' he said, 'if you will kneel down and worship me.'
12When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
13He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
14This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
15'In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.'
18One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers — Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew — throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
19Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!'
20And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.
22They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
23Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.
24News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed — he healed them all.
25Large crowds followed him wherever he went — people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
Chapter 5
1One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2and he began to teach them.
3'God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
6God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
7God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
10God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
14You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
17Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
19So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
21You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
22But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
24leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
25When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
26And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
27You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29So if your eye — even your good eye — causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your hand — even your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
31You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’
32But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
33You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’
34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.
35And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.
36Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black.
37Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
38You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
40If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
41If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
42Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
43You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
47If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
48But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Chapter 6
1Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us today the food we need,
12and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
19Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
20Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
21Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.
23But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
25That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Chapter 7
1Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?
5Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
7Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
10Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
11So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
13You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
14But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
15Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
16You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
19So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
20Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
21Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
27When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.'
English Standard Version
Chapter 2
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 "‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’"
7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."
9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."
14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child 's life are dead."
21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Chapter 3
1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’"
4Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,
6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
14John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.
16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4But he answered, "It is written, "‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and "‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’"
7Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."
10Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’"
12Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
13And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles —
16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."
17From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
18While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
25And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Chapter 5
1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
11"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31"It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
38"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Chapter 7
1"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother 's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother 's eye.
7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
13"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep 's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
New International Version
Chapter 2
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead."
21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Chapter 3
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
4John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.
13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—
14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."
20At once they left their nets and followed him.
21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.
25Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31"It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
34But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray: " ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’
14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Chapter 7
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
New King James Version
Chapter 2
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
7Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,
15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
19Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
21Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Chapter 3
1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
4Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
16When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
8Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
12Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.
13And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
22and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
24Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
25Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Chapter 5
1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
34But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Chapter 6
1“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
5“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
9In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Chapter 7
1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
12Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
