Read Amplified Bible, 2015 Matthew 5 Bible Online

Matthew 5 - Amplified Bible, 2015 bible

Matthew 5

¹When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His[1] disciples came to Him.

³"Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

⁴"Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God's grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

⁵"Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the[2] gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

⁶"Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

⁷"Blessed [content, sheltered by God's promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸"Blessed [anticipating God's presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

⁹"Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God's favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

¹⁰"Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God's love] are those who are persecuted for[3] doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

¹¹"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God's goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.

¹²Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³"You are the[4] salt of the earth; but if the salt has[5] lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].

¹⁴"You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

¹⁵nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

¹⁶Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷"Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the[6] Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

¹⁸For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished.

¹⁹So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰"For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not murder,' and 'Whoever murders shall be[7] guilty before the court.'

²²But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice against him shall be guilty before the court; and whoever speaks [contemptuously and insultingly] to his brother,[8] Raca (You empty-headed idiot)!' shall be guilty before the supreme court (Sanhedrin); and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the[9] fiery hell.

²³So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you,

²⁴leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering.

²⁵Come to terms quickly [at the earliest opportunity] with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way [to court], so that your opponent does not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you are thrown into prison.

²⁶I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid the last[10] cent.

²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery';

²⁸but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹"It has also been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife is to give her a certificate of divorce';

³²but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].'

³⁴But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

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

³⁶Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black.

³⁷But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no' [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [punishment that fits the offense].'

³⁹But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever[11] slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise].

⁴⁰If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt,[12] let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender].

⁴¹And whoever[13] forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

⁴²Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.'

⁴⁴"But I say to you,[14] love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].

⁴⁶For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God's blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?

⁴⁸You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.