(3/23)← Back →

9. Teaching His Disciples
the Highest Morality

17. And He came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a great crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases.
18. And those who were troubled by unclean spirits were healed.
19. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, because power was going out from Him and healing all.
20. And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples and said, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21. Blessed are those who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22. Blessed are you when men hate you and when they separate you from them and reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Mans sake.
23. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation in full.
25. Woe to you who are satiated now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
27. But to you who hear I say, Love your enemies; do well to those who hate you;
28. Bless those who curse you; pray for those who revile you.
29. To him who beats you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30. To everyone who asks of you, give; and from him who takes away your things, do not require their return.
31. And just as you want men to do to you, do to them likewise.
32. And if you love those who love you, what thanks is it to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33. For if you also do good to those who do good to you, what thanks is it to you? Even sinners do the same.
34. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks is it to you? Even sinners lend to sinners that they may get back the equal amount.
35. But love your enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36. Be full of compassion, even as your Father also is full of compassion.
37. And do not judge, and you shall by no means be judged; and do not condemn, and you shall by no means be condemned; release, and you will be released;
38. Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you in return.
39. And He also spoke a parable to them: A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will not both fall into a pit?
40. A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who has been perfected will be like his teacher.
41. And why do you look at the splinter which is in your brothers eye, but the beam which is in your own eye you do not consider?
42. How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me remove the splinter which is in your eye, you yourself not seeing the beam which is in your eye? Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter which is in your brothers eye.
43. For there is no good tree that produces corrupt fruit, nor again a corrupt tree that produces good fruit.
44. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not collect figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a thornbush.
45. The good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is good, and the evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is evil; for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks.
46. And why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say?
47. Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you whom he is like.
48. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. And when a flood came, the river broke out against that house, yet it was not strong enough to shake it, because it had been built well.
49. But he who hears and does not do is like a man who built a house upon the earth without a foundation, against which the river broke out, and immediately it collapsed, and the crash of that house was great.