Knox Bible

1

Jesus, when he saw how great was their number, went up on to the mountain-side; there he sat down, and his disciples came about him.

2

And he began speaking to them; this was the teaching he gave.

3

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.✻

4

Blessed are the patient; they shall inherit the land.

5

Blessed are those who mourn; they shall be comforted.

6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill.

7

Blessed are the merciful; they shall obtain mercy.

8

Blessed are the clean of heart; they shall see God.

9

Blessed are the peace-makers; they shall be counted the children of God.

10

Blessed are those who suffer persecution in the cause of right; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11

Blessed are you, when men revile you, and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, because of me.

12

Be glad and light-hearted, for a rich reward awaits you in heaven; so it was they persecuted the prophets who went before you.

13

You are the salt of the earth; if salt loses its taste, what is there left to give taste to it? There is no more to be done with it, but throw it out of doors for men to tread it under foot.

14

You are the light of the world; a city cannot be hidden if it is built on a mountain-top.

15

A lamp is not lighted to be put away under a bushel measure; it is put on the lamp-stand, to give light to all the people of the house;

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and your light must shine so brightly before men that they can see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17

Do not think that I have come to set aside the law and the prophets; I have not come to set them aside, but to bring them to perfection.

18

Believe me, heaven and earth must disappear sooner than one jot, one flourish should disappear from the law; it must all be accomplished.

19

Whoever, then, sets aside one of these commandments, though it were the least, and teaches men to do the like, will be of least account in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches others to keep them will be accounted in the kingdom of heaven as the greatest.

20

And I tell you that if your justice does not give fuller measure than the justice of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21

You have heard that it was said to the men of old, Thou shalt do no murder; if a man commits murder, he must answer for it before the court of justice.✻

22

But I tell you that any man who is angry with his brother must answer for it before the court of justice, and any man who says Raca to his brother must answer for it before the Council; and any man who says to his brother, Thou fool, must answer for it in hell fire.

23

If thou art bringing thy gift, then, before the altar, and rememberest there that thy brother has some ground of complaint against thee,

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leave thy gift lying there before the altar, and go home; be reconciled with thy brother first, and then come back to offer thy gift.

25

If any man has a claim against thee, come to terms there and then, while thou art walking in the road with him; or else it may be that the claimant will hand thee over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and so thou wilt be cast into prison.

26

Believe me, thou shalt not be set at liberty until thou hast paid the last farthing.

27

You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

28

But I tell you that he who casts his eyes on a woman so as to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29

If thy right eye is the occasion of thy falling into sin, pluck it out and cast it away from thee; better to lose one part of thy body than to have the whole cast into hell.

30

And if thy right hand is an occasion of falling, cut it off and cast it away from thee; better to lose one of thy limbs than to have thy whole body cast into hell.

31

It was said, too, Whoever will put away his wife must first give her a writ of separation.

32

But I tell you that the man who puts away his wife (setting aside the matter of unfaithfulness) makes an adulteress of her, and whoever marries her after she has been put away, commits adultery.✻

33

Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, Thou shalt not perjure thyself; thou shalt perform what thou hast sworn in the sight of the Lord.✻

34

But I tell you that you should not bind yourselves by any oath at all: not by heaven, for heaven is God’s throne;

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nor by earth, for earth is the footstool under his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king.

36

And thou shalt not swear by thy own head, for thou hast no power to turn a single hair of it white or black.

37

Let your word be Yes for Yes, and No for No; whatever goes beyond this, comes of evil.

38

You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.✻

39

But I tell you that you should not offer resistance to injury; if a man strikes thee on thy right cheek, turn the other cheek also towards him;

40

if he is ready to go to law with thee over thy coat, let him have it and thy cloak with it;

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if he compels thee to attend him on a mile’s journey, go two miles with him of thy own accord.

42

Give to him who asks, and if a man would borrow from thee, do not turn away.

43

You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy.✻

44

But I tell you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute and insult you,

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that so you may be true sons of your Father in heaven, who makes his sun rise on the evil and equally on the good, his rain fall on the just and equally on the unjust.

46

If you love those who love you, what title have you to a reward? Will not the publicans do as much?

47

If you greet none but your brethren, what are you doing more than others? Will not the very heathen do as much?

48

But you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.