Jesus Gives Blessings

5 Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him. 2Then he began to teach them.

He said,

3 “Blessed are those who are spiritually needy.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

4 Blessed are those who are sad.

They will be comforted.

5 Blessed are those who are free of pride.

They will be given the earth.

6 Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right.

They will be filled.

7 Blessed are those who show mercy.

They will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are those whose hearts are pure.

They will see God.

9 Blessed are those who make peace.

They will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

11“Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12Be joyful and glad. Your reward in heaven is great. In the same way, people hurt the prophets who lived long ago.

Salt and Light

13“You are the salt of the earth. But suppose the salt loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything. It will be thrown out. People will walk all over it.

14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can’t be hidden. 15Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house.

16“In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus Gives Full Meaning to the Law

17“Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. 18What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed.

19“Do not break even one of the least important commandments. And do not teach others to break them. If you do, you will be called the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in the kingdom of heaven.

20“Here is what I tell you. You must be more godly than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. If you are not, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

21“You have heard what was said to people who lived long ago. They were told, ‘Do not commit murder. (Exodus 20:13) Anyone who murders will be judged for it.’ 22But here is what I tell you. Do not be angry with your brother. Anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ must stand trial in the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire in hell.

23“Suppose you are offering your gift at the altar. And you remember that your brother has something against you. 24Leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift.

25“Suppose someone has a claim against you and is taking you to court. Settle the matter quickly. Do it while you are still with him on your way. If you don’t, he may hand you over to the judge. The judge may hand you over to the officer. And you may be thrown into prison. 26What I’m about to tell you is true. You will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!

Adultery

27“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ (Exodus 20:14) 28But here is what I tell you. Do not even look at a woman in the wrong way. Anyone who does has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

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

30“If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Your hand is only one part of your body. It is better to lose it than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

31“It has been said, ‘Suppose a man divorces his wife. If he does, he must give her a letter of divorce.’ (Deuteronomy 24:1) 32But here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who gets married to the divorced woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him.

Oaths

33“Again, you have heard what was said to your people long ago. They were told, ‘Do not break the promises you make to the Lord. Keep the oaths you have made to him.’ 34But here is what I tell you. Do not make any promises like that at all. Do not make them in the name of heaven. That is God’s throne. 35Do not make them in the name of the earth. That is the stool for God’s feet. Do not make them in the name of Jerusalem. That is the city of the Great King. 36And do not take an oath in the name of your head. You can’t make even one hair white or black.

37“Just let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes.’ Let your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Be Kind to Others

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth.’ (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21) 39But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person.

“Suppose someone hits you on your right cheek. Turn your other cheek to him also. 40Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let him have your coat also. 41Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with him.

42“Give to the one who asks you for something. Don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow something from you.

Love Your Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor. (Leviticus 19:18) Hate your enemy.’ 44But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. 45Then you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

“He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don’t.

46“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. 47If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. 48So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Giving to Needy People

6 “Be careful not to do ‘good works’ in front of others. Don’t do them to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.

2“When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by others. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

3“When you give to the needy, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you. He sees what you do secretly.

Prayer

5“When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by others. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

6“When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly.

7“When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. 8Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

9“This is how you should pray.

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be honored.

10 May your kingdom come.

May what you want to happen be done

on earth as it is done in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our sins,

just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.

13 Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.

Save us from the evil one.’

14“Forgive people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

16“When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

17“But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. 18Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly.

Put Away Riches in Heaven

19“Do not put away riches for yourselves on earth. Moths and rust can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. 20Instead, put away riches for yourselves in heaven. There, moths and rust do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. 21Your heart will be where your riches are.

22“The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are good. Then your whole body will be full of light. 23But suppose your eyes are bad. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!

24“No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and Money at the same time.

Do Not Worry

25“I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes?

26“Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?

27“Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. 29But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers.

30“If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small!

31“So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them.

33“But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you.

34“So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Be Fair When You Judge Others

7 “Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged. 2You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others.

3“You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend’s eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. 4How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye’? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye?

5“You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend’s eye.

6“Do not give holy things to dogs. Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they might walk all over them. Then they might turn around and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Search, Knock

7“Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks.

9“Suppose your son asks for bread. Which of you will give him a stone? 10Or suppose he asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake? 11Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

12“In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you. This is what is written in the Law and in the Prophets.

The Large and Small Gates

13“Enter God’s kingdom through the narrow gate. The gate is large and the road is wide that lead to death and hell. Many people go that way. 14But the gate is small and the road is narrow that lead to life. Only a few people find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you pretending to be sheep. But on the inside they are hungry wolves. 16You can tell what they really are by what they do.

“Do people pick grapes from bushes? Do they pick figs from thorns? 17In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree can’t bear bad fruit. And a bad tree can’t bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. It is thrown into the fire. 20You can tell each tree by its fruit.

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants will enter.

22“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord! Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we drive out demons in your name? Didn’t we do many miracles in your name?’ 23Then I will tell them clearly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24“So then, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. 25The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock.

26“But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. 27The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash.”

28Jesus finished saying all these things. The crowds were amazed at his teaching. 29He taught like one who had authority. He did not speak like their teachers of the law.

Jesus Heals a Man Who Had a Skin Disease

8 Jesus came down from the mountainside. Large crowds followed him.

2A man who had a skin disease came and got down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said, “Lord, if you are willing to make me ‘clean,’ you can do it.”

3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing to do it,” he said. “Be ‘clean’!”

Right away the man was healed of his skin disease.

4Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone. Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the gift Moses commanded. It will be a witness to them.”

A Roman Commander Has Faith

5When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman commander came to him. He asked Jesus for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home and can’t move. He is suffering terribly.”

7Jesus said, “I will go and heal him.”

8The commander replied, “Lord, I am not good enough to have you come into my house. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9I myself am a man under authority. And I have soldiers who obey my orders. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those following him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. In Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.

11“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west. They will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. They will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 12But those who think they belong to the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness. There they will sob and grind their teeth.”

13Then Jesus said to the Roman commander, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.”

And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus Heals Many People

14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law. She was lying in bed. She had a fever.

15Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to wait on him.

16When evening came, many people controlled by demons were brought to Jesus. He drove out the spirits with a word. He healed all who were sick.

17He did it to make what the prophet Isaiah had said come true. He had said,

“He suffered the things we should have suffered.

He took on himself the sicknesses that should have been ours.” (Isaiah 53:4)

It Costs to Follow Jesus

18Jesus saw the crowd around him. So he gave his disciples orders to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

19Then a teacher of the law came to him. He said, “Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go.”

20Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21Another follower said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus told him, “Follow me. Let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

23Jesus got into a boat. His disciples followed him. 24Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the lake. The waves crashed over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

25The disciples went and woke him up. They said, “Lord! Save us! We’re going to drown!”

26He replied, “Your faith is so small! Why are you so afraid?”

Then Jesus got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop. It became completely calm.

27The disciples were amazed. They asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Men Controlled by Demons

28Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the area of the Gadarenes. Two men controlled by demons met him. They came from the tombs. The men were so wild that no one could pass that way.

29“Son of God, what do you want with us?” they shouted. “Have you come here to punish us before the time for us to be judged?”

30Not very far away, a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32Jesus said to them, “Go!”

So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned in the water.

33Those who were tending the pigs ran off. They went into the town and reported all this. They told the people what had happened to the men who had been controlled by demons.

34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.

Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk

9 Jesus stepped into a boat. He went over to the other side of the lake and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a man who could not walk. He was lying on a mat. Jesus saw that they had faith. So he said to the man, “Don’t lose hope, son. Your sins are forgiven.”

3Then some teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is saying a very evil thing!”

4Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “Why do you have evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Then he spoke to the man who could not walk. “Get up,” he said. “Take your mat and go home.” 7The man got up and went home.

8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with wonder. They praised God for giving that kind of authority to men.

Jesus Chooses Matthew

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the tax collector’s booth.

“Follow me,” Jesus told him. Matthew got up and followed him.

10Later Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came. They ate with Jesus and his disciples.

11The Pharisees saw this. So they asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

12Jesus heard that. So he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a doctor. Sick people do. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ (Hosea 6:6) I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me.”

Jesus Is Asked About Fasting

14One day John’s disciples came. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees go without eating. Why don’t your disciples go without eating?”

15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the groom be sad while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

16“People don’t sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. The new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse.

17“People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst. The wine will run out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins. Then both are saved.”

A Dead Girl and a Suffering Woman

18While Jesus was saying this, a ruler came. He got down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said, “My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her. Then she will live again.”

19Jesus got up and went with him. So did his disciples.

20Just then a woman came up behind Jesus. She had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. She touched the edge of his clothes. 21She thought, “I only need to touch his clothes. Then I will be healed.”

22Jesus turned and saw her. “Dear woman, don’t give up hope,” he said. “Your faith has healed you.” The woman was healed at that very moment.

23When Jesus entered the ruler’s house, he saw the flute players there. And he saw the noisy crowd. 24He said, “Go away. The girl is not dead. She is sleeping.” But they laughed at him.

25After the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in. He took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News about what Jesus had done spread all over that area.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him. They called out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28When Jesus went indoors, the blind men came to him. He asked them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29Then he touched their eyes. He said, “It will happen to you just as you believed.” 30They could now see again. Jesus strongly warned them, “Be sure that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news. They talked about him all over that area.

32While they were going out, another man was brought to Jesus. A demon controlled him, and he could not speak. 33When the demon was driven out, the man spoke.

The crowd was amazed. They said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons.”

There Are Only a Few Workers

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues. He preached the good news of the kingdom. And he healed every illness and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he felt deep concern for them. They were beaten down and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is huge. But there are only a few workers. 38So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest field.”