In The Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus, considered by Christians to be the son and incarnation of God, offers
a code of ethical conduct.
Matt.5
[1] And seeing the multitudes,
he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto
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 they that
mourn: for they shall be comforted.
[5] Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
[6] Blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after 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 the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when
men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding
glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.
[13] Ye are the salt of
the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to
be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of
the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
[15] Neither do men light
a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth
light unto all that are in the house.
[16] Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.
[17] Think not that I am
come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfil.
[18] For verily I say unto
you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
[19] Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he
shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
[20] For I say unto you,
That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[21] Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall
kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
[22] But I say unto you,
That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be
in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be
in danger of hell fire.
[23] Therefore if thou bring
thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought
against thee;
[24] Leave there thy gift
before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and
then come and offer thy gift.
[25] Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary
deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and
thou be cast into prison.
[26] Verily I say unto thee,
Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing.
[27] Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
[28] But I say unto you,
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery
with her already in his heart.
[29] And if thy right eye
offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole
body should be cast into hell.
[30] And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body
should be cast into hell.
[31] It hath been said,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
[32] But I say unto you,
That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication,
causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery.
[33] Again, ye have heard
that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself,
but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
[34] But I say unto you,
Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
[35] Nor by the earth; for
it is his footstool: neither 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 communication
be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
[38] Ye have heard that
it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
[39] But I say unto you,
That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also.
[40] And if any man will
sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
[41] And whosoever shall
compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
[42] Give to him that asketh
thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
[43] Ye have heard that
it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
[44] But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
[45] That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
[46] For if ye love them
which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
[47] And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
[48] Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
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Matt.6
[1] Take heed that ye do
not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward
of your Father which is in heaven.
[2] Therefore when thou
doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[3] But when thou doest
alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
[4] That thine alms may
be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward
thee openly.
[5] And when thou prayest,
thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen
of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[6] But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly.
[7] But when ye pray, use
not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall
be heard for their much speaking.
[8] Be not ye therefore
like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before
ye ask him.
[9] After this manner therefore
pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
[10] Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
[11] Give us this day our
daily bread.
[12] And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.
[13] And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
[14] For if ye forgive men
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
[15] But if ye forgive not
men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
[16] Moreover when ye fast,
be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their
faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They
have their reward.
[17] But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
[18] That thou appear not
unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father,
which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
[19] Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal:
[20] But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal:
[21] For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also.
[22] The light of the body
is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full
of light.
[23] But if thine eye be
evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
[24] No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he
will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
[25] Therefore I say unto
you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more
than meat, and the body than raiment?
[26] Behold the fowls of
the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
[27] Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
[28] And why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil
not, neither do they spin:
[29] And yet I say unto
you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[30] Wherefore, if God so
clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into
the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
[31] Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall
we be clothed?
[32] (For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
[33] But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.
[34] Take therefore no thought
for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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Matt.7
[1] Judge not, that ye be
not judged.
[2] For with what judgment
ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again.
[3] And why beholdest thou
the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that
is in thine own eye?
[4] Or how wilt thou say
to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold,
a beam is in thine own eye?
[5] Thou hypocrite, first
cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly
to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
[6] Give not that which
is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they
trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
[7] Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:
[8] For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened.
[9] Or what man is there
of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
[10] Or if he ask a fish,
will he give him a serpent?
[11] If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
[12] Therefore all things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for
this is the law and the prophets.
[13] Enter ye in at the
strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
[14] Because strait is the
gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it.
[15] Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[16] Ye shall know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
[17] Even so every good
tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil
fruit.
[18] A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[19] Every tree that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
[20] Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them.
[21] Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a
wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and
it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto
a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and
it fell: and great was the fall of it.
[28] And it came to pass,
when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
[29] For he taught them
as one having authority, and not as the scribes.