The Sacred Scripture

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Matthew 5

1 And seeing the crowds, He went·​·up into the mountain; and when He had sat·​·down, His disciples came to Him.
2 And opening His mouth He taught them, saying,
3 Happy1 are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
4 Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Happy are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be·​·satisfied.
7 Happy are the merciful, for they shall have·​·mercy.
8 Happy are the clean in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
10 Happy are they who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
11 Happy are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say every wicked saying against you, telling·​·lies, on account of Me.
12 Leap·​·for·​·joy and rejoice, for your reward is much in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt become saltless2, with what shall it be salted? After·​·that it is·​·of· no ·use, except to be cast out, and to be trampled by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is laid·​·out on a mountain cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do they light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it shines for all who are in the house.
16 In·​·this·​·way let your light shine in·​·front·​·of men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.
17 Do not suppose that I have come to undo the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to undo but to fulfill.
18 For amen I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass·​·away, one yodh3 or one little·​·horn4 shall not pass·​·away from the Law, till all things come·​·to·​·pass.
19 Therefore whoever shall loosen one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.
20 For I say to you that unless your justice shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
21 You have heard that it was declared by the ancients, Thou shalt not murder5; and whoever shall murder shall be subject to the judgment6.
22 But I say to you that everyone who is·​·angry with his brother rashly shall be subject to the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be subject to the council; and whoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be subject to the gehenna7 of fire.
23 If therefore thou offer thy gift on the altar, and·​·there rememberest that thy brother has anything against thee,
24 leave there thy gift in·​·front·​·of the altar, and go·​·thy·​·way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come offer thy gift.
25 Be of good·​·will with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest the adversary deliver· thee ·up to the judge, and the judge deliver· thee ·up to the attendant, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Amen I say unto thee, Thou shalt not come·​·out from·​·there until thou hast paid the last farthing8.
27 You have heard that it was declared to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit·​·adultery.9
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at another woman10 to lust·​·after her has already committed·​·adultery with her in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, pluck· it ·out, and cast it from thee; for it·​·is·​·expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into gehenna.
30 And if thy right hand cause· thee ·to·​·stumble, cut· it ·off, and cast it from thee; for it·​·is·​·expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into gehenna.
31 And it has been declared that whoever shall send·​·away his wife, let him give her a divorce.11
32 But I say to you, Whoever shall send·​·away his wife, outside·​·of the reason of scortation, makes her commit·​·adultery; and whoever shall wed her who is sent·​·away commits·​·adultery.
33 Again, you have heard that it has been declared to the ancients, Thou shalt not swear·​·falsely12, but shalt render to the Lord thine oaths.
34 But I say to you, Swear not at·​·all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no; and whatever is beyond these is from evil.
38 You have heard that it has been declared, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.13
39 But I say to you, Do not stand·​·against the wicked; but whoever shall hit14 thee on thy right cheekbone, turn to him the other also.
40 And if anyone wills to have· thee ·judged and take thy tunic, let· him ·have the cloak also.
41 And whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.
42 Give to him who asks thee; and turn· not ·away him who wills to borrow from thee.
43 You have heard that it has been declared, Thou shalt love thy neighbor15, and shalt hate thine enemy.
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do well to those who hate you, and pray for those who injure you and persecute you,
45 so·​·that you may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; for He makes His sun to rise on the wicked and the good, and sends·​·rain on the just and the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans do the same?
47 And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do beyond others? Do not even the publicans do so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, just·​·as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.

1In this translation, “happy” renders one Greek word, used here, while “blessed” renders another Greek word, as in Matthew 14:19, 21:9 and elsewhere.

2literally, “become·​·foolish (or senseless)”; the Latin word also means “be made foolish” or “tasteless” (AC 9207:2, 4, AC 10300:3). Doctrine of Charity 190 speaks of salt that has lost its saltiness.

3“Yodh” is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

4“There was once sent down to me from heaven a little paper with Hebrew letters inscribed on it, but written as with the ancients ... with little horns turned upward; and the angels who were with me said that they recognized complete meanings in the very letters, perceiving them especially from the curves of the lines and apexes of the letters.... This makes clear what these words of the Lord signify: ‘One jot or one little horn shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished’” (TCR 278).

5Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17

6For an example of such judgment, see Exodus 21:12.

7“Gehenna” is a hell (see AC 826 and elsewhere). The name comes from Hebrew, Ge Hinnom, a deep ravine just south of Jerusalem, where there was a leper colony.

8The Greek and the Latin both mean “a fourth,” and a farthing is a fourth of a penny.

9Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18

10The Heavenly Doctrine in quoting this verse always adds “another” or “of another.” The Greek word for “woman” is also the word for “wife” and is translated uxor (wife) in TCR 326.

11Deuteronomy 24:1

12Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 5:11

13Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21

14The word for “hit” is related to the word for “staff.”

15Leviticus 19:18