Matthew 5
The Sermon on the Mount
Seeing the crowds, ahe went up on the mountain, and when he bsat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And ahe opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 a“Blessed are bthe poor in spirit, for ctheirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are athose who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the ameek, for they ashall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and athirst bfor righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are athe merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are athe pure in heart, for bthey shall see God.
9 “Blessed are athe peacemakers, for bthey shall be called csons of God.
10 a“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for btheirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 a“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely bon my account. 12 aRejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for bso they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, abut if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 a“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 aNor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so athat they may see your good works and bgive glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 a“Do not think that I have come to abolish bthe Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but cto fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, auntil heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 aTherefore whoever relaxes bone of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least cin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great cin the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds athat of the scribes and Pharisees, you bwill never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 a“You have heard that it was said to those of old, b‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable cto judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that aeveryone who is angry with his brother will be liable bto judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to cthe hell of fire. 23 aSo if byou are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 aCome 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. 26 Truly, I say to you, ayou will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Lust
27 a“You have heard that it was said, b‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that aeveryone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 aIf your right eye bcauses 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 chell. 30 aAnd if your right hand bcauses 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 chell.
Divorce
31 a“It was also said, b‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 aBut I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and bwhoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again ayou have heard that it was said to those of old, b‘You shall not swear falsely, but cshall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, aDo not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for bit is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is athe city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; aanything more than this comes from evil.
Retaliation
38 a“You have heard that it was said, b‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, aDo not resist the one who is evil. But bif anyone cslaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And aif anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone aforces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 aGive to the one who begs from you, and bdo not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 a“You have heard that it was said, b‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, aLove your enemies and bpray for those who persecute you, 45 aso 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 bsends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 aFor if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even athe Gentiles do the same? 48 aYou therefore must be bperfect, cas your heavenly Father is perfect.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.