1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on a mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.

2 And 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.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,for they shall see God.

9 Blessed 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 you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 »You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, how shall it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16 Let 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 have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will by any means pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 Whoever then breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that 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 liable to judgment.’

22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother shall be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be answerable to the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall 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 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 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him to court, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

27 »You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 »It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

32 But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to become an adulteress; 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 your oaths to the Lord.’

34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘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.’

39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. But if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

41 And if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42 Give 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.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 that 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.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.