Matthew 5:18-7:11

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹⁸ For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter^[a] or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so 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.^{(A) 20} For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors,^[b] Do not murder,^(B)[c] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.^{(C) 22} But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother^[d] will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’^[e] will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.^{[f](D) 23} So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to^[g] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.^{(E) 26} I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!^[h]

Adultery in the Heart

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.^{(F)[i] 28} But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(G) 29} If your right eye causes you to sin,^(H) 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.^{(I) 30} And 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!

Divorce Practices Censured

³¹ “It was also said, Whoever divorces^(J) his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.^{(K)[j] 32} But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality,^[k] causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(L)

Tell the Truth

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,^[l] You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.^{(M)[m] 34} But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.^{(N) 36} Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’^[n] Anything more than this is from the evil one.^(O)

Go the Second Mile

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.^{(P)[o] 39} But I tell you, don’t resist^[p] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.^{(Q) 40} As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt,^[q] let him have your coat^[r] as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces^[s] you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(R)

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor^(S)[t] and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies^[u] and pray for those who^[v] persecute you,^{(T) 45} so that you may be^[w] sons 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.^{(U) 46} For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?^[x](V) Don’t even the Gentiles^[y] do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect,^(W) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

How to Give

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness^[z] in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So 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. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!^{(X) 3} But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[aa](Y)

How to Pray

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. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!^{(Z) 6} But 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.^{[ab](AA) 7} When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,^[ac] since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.^{(AB) 8} Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.^(AC)

The Model Prayer

⁹ “Therefore, you should pray like this:^(AD)

¹⁴ “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,^[ah] your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.^{(AJ) 15} But if you don’t forgive people,^[ai] your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.^[aj]

How to Fast

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive^[ak](AK) so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,^{(AL) 18} so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[al]

God and Possessions

¹⁹ “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures^[am] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.^{(AM) 20} But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(AN) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But 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!^(AO)

²⁴ “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.^(AP)

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “This is why I tell you:^(AQ) 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?^{(AR) 26} Look at 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?^{(AS) 27} Can any of you add a single cubit to his height^[an] by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! ³⁰ If 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?^{(AT) 31} So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the idolaters^[ao] eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God^[ap](AU) and His righteousness,^(AV) and all these things will be provided for you.^{(AW) 34} Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble^(AX) of its own.

Do Not Judge

7 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.^{(AY) 2} For with the judgment you use,^[aq] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,^[ar] it will be measured to you.^{(AZ) 3} Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?^{(BA) 4} Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ⁶ Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,^(BB) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

⁷ “Keep asking,^[as](BC) and it will be given to you.^(BD) Keep searching,^[at] and you will find. Keep knocking,^[au] and the door^[av] will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,^(BE) and to the one who knocks, the door^[aw] will be opened. ⁹ What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil,^(BF) 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!