Matthew:5-6

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* When he saw the crowds , he went up the mountain , and when he had seated himself , his disciples came to him , * and opening his lips he began to teach them , saying . * "Blessed are the poor in spirit , for the kingdom of heaven is theirs . * "Blessed are those who mourn , for they shall be comforted . * "Blessed are the gentle , for they shall inherit the earth ." * "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness , for they shall be completely satisfied . * "Blessed are the merciful , for they shall obtain mercy . * "Blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see God . * "Blessed are the peacemakers , for they shall be called sons of God . * "Blessed are those who have been persecuted in the cause of righteousness , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . * "Blessed are you when they shall revile you , and persecute you , and say all manner of evil against you falsely , for my names sake . * "Rejoice and exult in it , because your reward was great in the heavens ; for so did they persecute the prophets before you . * "You are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt lose its savor , in what way shall it be salted ? It is henceforth good for nothing but to be thrown out and trodden under foot of men . * "You are the light of the world . A city built on a hilltop cannot be hid ; * "nor do men light a lamp , and put it under the bushel , but on the lamp-stand , and it gives light to all who are in the house . * "So let your light shine before men that they may see good you do , and give glory to your Father who is in heaven . * "Do not suppose that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets . I am come not to destroy , but to fulfil . * "In solemn truth I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away , not an iota , not a comma , will pass from the Law until all has taken place . * "So whoever breaks one of these least commandments , and teaches others to break them , will be least in the kingdom of heaven . But he who keeps them and teaches them , he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven . * "For I assure you that unless your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will not find entrance into the kingdom of heaven . * "You have heard that it was said to the ancients , "Thou shall not commit murder , and "he who commits murder shall be liable to condemnation by the court ; * but I say to you that he who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to condemnation by the court ; and he who says to his brother Raca , shall be liable to condemnation by the Sanhedrin , while he who curses his brother shall be liable to the Gehenna of Fire . * "If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar , and there remember that your brother has a grievance against you , * "leave there your gift before the altar , and go and make friends with your brother , first of all ; then come and offer your gift . * "Come to terms with your opponent quickly , while you are yet with him on the way to the court , to prevent your opponent from handing you over to the judge , and the judge to the jailer , and so you be thrown into prison . * "I tell you truly that you would certainly not get out from there until you had paid back the last cent . * "You have heard that it was said , "Thou shalt not commit adultery . * But I say to you that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart . * And if your eye , your right eye , entices you to sin , pluck it out and cast it from you . It is better for you to lose one of your bodily organs , than to have your whole body go down into the pit . * And if your right hand entices you into sin , cut it off and cast it from you ; for it is better for you to lose one of your bodily organs , than to have your whole body go down into the pit . * "It was also said , "Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of separation . * But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife , except on the ground of unchastity , makes her an adulteress , and whoever marries her when so divorced , commits adultery . * "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old , "You must not forswear yourselves , but must perform your vows to the Lord . * "But I say to you , swear not at all ; neither by the sky , for it is Gods throne ; * "nor by the earth , for it is the footstool of his feet ; nor by Jerusalem , for it is the city of the Great King . * "Nor must you swear by your head , since you cannot make one hair white or black . * "But let your word be simply Yes or No ;anything beyond this comes from the Evil One . * "You have heard that it was said , "An eye for an eye , a tooth for a tooth . * "But I tell you not to retaliate the injury ; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek , turn the other to him also ; * "and if any one wants to go to law with you and takes away your coat , let him take your cloak also . * "Whoever impresses you to go one mile , go two miles with him . * "Give to him who asks , and from him who wants to borrow from you , do not turn away . * "You have heard that it was said , "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy ." * "But I say to you , love your enemies , and pray for those who persecute you . * "So you will become sons of your heavenly Father ; for he makes his sun to rise upon sinners as well as saints , and sends rain upon the unjust and the just . * "For if you love only those who love you , what reward have you ? * "Even the tax-gatherers do that , do they not ? And if you show courtesy to your brother only , what are you doing more than others ? Even the Gentiles do that , do they not ? * "You then must be perfect , as your heavenly Father is perfect ." * "Be careful not to do your good deeds in the sight of men , in order to be observed by them . If you do , you have no reward with your heavenly Father . * "And whatever you give alms , do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets , in order that men may praise them . In solemn truth I tell you they already have their reward in full . * "But when you give alms , do not let your right hand know what your left is doing , * "so that your alms may be in secret ; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly . * "And whenever you pray , do not be like the hypocrites . For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the avenues , in order that men may see them . In solemn truth I tell you that they have their reward in full . * "But you , when you pray , go into your own room and shut your door ; pray to your Father who is in secret , and your Father who sees in secret will reward you . * "While praying do not say the same words over and over again , as the Gentiles do , for they suppose that by their much speaking they will gain attention . * "Do not be like them , for your Father knows what you need before you ask him . * "So pray in this way . "Our Father who art in heaven , May thy name be hallowed , * thy kingdom come , and thy will be done , On earth , as in heaven . * Give us today our bread for the day before us ; * And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors ; * And lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from the Evil One ; For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory . Amen . * "For if you forgive men their offenses against you , your heavenly Father will forgive you also ; * "but if you do not forgive men your offenses , neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your offenses . * "When you fast , do not look downcast like the hypocrites ; for they disfigure their faces so that it may be apparent to men that they are fasting . In solemn truth I tell you , they already have received their reward . * "But when one of you fasts , let him anoint his head and wash his face , * "so that he may not appear to men to be fasting , but to his Father who is in secret ; and his Father who sees in secret will reward him . * "Store up for yourselves no treasures on earth , where moth and rust consume , and where thieves break through and steal ; * "but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust consume , and where thieves do not break through nor steal . * "For wherever your treasure is , there will your heart be also . * "The lamp of the body is the eye . Therefore if your eye is sound , your whole body will be well lighted ; * "but if your eye is unsound , your whole body will be darkened . If then the very light within you is darkness , how dense is that darkness ! * "No slave can serve two masters , for either he will hate the one and love the other , or he will pay heed to the one and despise the other . You cannot be the slaves both of God and of gold . * "For this reason I say to you , do not be anxious about your life , inquiring what you shall eat or what you shall drink , nor yet for your body , inquiring what you shall wear . Is not your life more than its food , and your body than its clothing ? * "Behold ! the birds in the sky ! They neither sow , nor reap , nor gather into barns , yet your heavenly Father feeds them ; and are not you worth more than they ? * "Which one of you by being anxious is able to add even one cubit to his stature ? * "Why be anxious then about clothing ? Consider the lilies of the field , how they grow . They toil not , neither do they spin . * "But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these . * "If God then so clothes the grass of the field , which blooms today , and tomorrow is cast into the oven , will he not much more clothe you , you of little faith ? * "Then do not be anxious ,saying , What shall we eat ? or What shall we drink ? or What shall we wear ?" * "For all these are things that the Gentiles are eagerly seeking ; for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all . * "But continue to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness , and all these things shall be added to you . * "Do not then be anxious about tomorrow , for tomorrow will bring its own anxieties . Enough for each day are its own troubles ." * "Judge not , that you may be judged , yourselves ;

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