The Daily Audio Bible

After Choosing The Twelve, Jesus Stands Before a Huge Crowd To Teach Them

¹² And it came about during these days that He went out to the mountain to pray. And He was spending the night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it became day, He called to His disciples. And having chosen twelve from them, whom He also named apostles— ¹⁴ Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew, his brother, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, the one being called a Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor— ¹⁷ and having come down with them, He stood on a level place. And there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal-region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear Him and to be healed from their diseases. And the ones being troubled by unclean spirits were being cured. ¹⁹ And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him because power was going forth from Him and healing everyone.

These Are The Ones God Considers Blessed And In Danger

²⁰ And He, having lifted-up His eyes toward His disciples, was saying— “Blessed^[a] are the poor ones, because the kingdom of God is yours. ²¹ Blessed are the ones hungering now, because you will be filled-to-satisfaction. Blessed are the ones weeping now, because you will laugh. ²² You are blessed whenever people hate you, and whenever they separate^[b] you, and reproach you, and throw-out your name as evil because-of ^[c] the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap-for-joy, for behold— your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the prophets. ²⁴ But woe to you rich ones, because you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵ Woe to you, the ones having been filled now, because you will hunger. Woe— the ones laughing now, because you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe— when all people speak well of you. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the false-prophets.

Love Your Enemies. Be Compassionate And Do Good To All

²⁷ “But I say to you, the ones hearing^[d]— Be loving your enemies. Be acting commendably to the ones hating you. ²⁸ Be blessing^[e] the ones cursing you. Be praying for the ones mistreating you. ²⁹ To the one striking you on the cheek, be offering also the other. And from the one taking away your cloak, also do not withhold^[f] the tunic^[g]. ³⁰ To everyone asking you, be giving. And from the one taking away your things, do not be demanding them back. ³¹ And just as you want people to be doing to you, be doing to them likewise. ³² If indeed you are loving the ones loving you, what-kind-of credit is it to you? For even the sinners are loving the ones loving them. ³³ For if indeed you are doing-good-to the ones doing-good-to you, what kind of credit is it to you? Even the sinners are doing the same. ³⁴ And if you lend-to ones from whom you are expecting^[h] to receive, what kind of credit is it to you? Even sinners are lending to sinners to receive-back the equal^[i] amounts. ³⁵ But be loving your enemies, and be doing good, and be lending, expecting-back^[j] nothing, and your reward will be great. And you will be sons^[k] of the Most-High, because He is good to the ungrateful and evil ones. ³⁶ Be compassionate, just-as^[l] your Father also is compassionate.

Do Not Judge Or Condemn Others. Pardon And Give To Them

³⁷ “And do not be judging^[m], and you will never be judged. And do not be condemning, and you will never be condemned. Be pardoning, and you will be pardoned. ³⁸ Be giving, and it will be given to you. They^[n] will give a good measure— having been pressed down, having been shaken, running over— into your fold^[o] [of the garment]. For with what measure you measure, it will be measured-back to you”.