The Beginning of the Sermon on the Mount

51 And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him, 2 and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:

The Beatitudes

3 'Happy the poor in spirit—because theirs is the reign of the heavens. 4 'Happy the mourning—because they shall be comforted. 5 'Happy the meek—because they shall inherit the land. 6 'Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness—because they shall be filled. 7 'Happy the kind—because they shall find kindness. 8 'Happy the clean in heart—because they shall see God. 9 'Happy the peacemakers—because they shall be called Sons of God. 10 'Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake—because theirs is the reign of the heavens. 11 'Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake— 12 rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward 'is' great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

The Salt of the Earth

13 'Ye are the salt of the land, but if the salt may lose savour, in what shall it be salted? for nothing is it good henceforth, except to be cast without, and to be trodden down by men.

The Light of the World

14 'Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a mount is not able to be hid; 15 nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all those in the house; 16 so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who 'is' in the heavens.

Jesus' Attitude toward the Law

17 'Do not suppose that I came to throw down the law or the prophets—I did not come to throw down, but to fulfill; 18 for, verily I say to you, till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass. 19 'Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands—the least—and may teach men so, least he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach 'them', he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. 20 'For I say to you, that if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens.

Jesus' Attitude toward Anger

21 'Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not kill, and whoever may kill shall be in danger of the judgment; 22 but I—I say to you, that every one who is angry at his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, Empty fellow! shall be in danger of the sanhedrim, and whoever may say, Rebel! shall be in danger of the gehenna of the fire. 23 'If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go—first be reconciled to thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift. 25 'Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast, 26 verily I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till that thou mayest pay the last farthing.

Jesus' Attitude toward Adultery

27 'Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery; 28 but I—I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart. 29 'But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna. 30 'And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

Jesus' Attitude toward Divorce

31 'And it was said, That whoever may put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce; 32 but I—I say to you, that whoever may put away his wife, save for the matter of whoredom, doth make her to commit adultery; and whoever may marry her who hath been put away doth commit adultery.

Jesus' Attitude toward Oaths

33 'Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths; 34 but I—I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king, 36 nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black; 37 but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.

Love for Enemies

38 'Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth; 39 but I—I say to you, not to resist the evil, but whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other; 40 and whoever is willing to take thee to law, and thy coat to take—suffer to him also the cloak. 41 'And whoever shall impress thee one mile, go with him two, 42 to him who is asking of thee be giving, and him who is willing to borrow from thee thou mayest not turn away.

43 'Ye heard that it was said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and shalt hate thine enemy; 44 but I—I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you, 45 that ye may be sons of your Father in the heavens, because His sun He doth cause to rise on evil and good, and He doth send rain on righteous and unrighteous. 46 'For, if ye may love those loving you, what reward have ye? do not also the tax-gatherers the same? 47 and if ye may salute your brethren only, what do ye abundant? do not also the tax-gatherers so? 48 ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who 'is' in the heavens is perfect.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

31 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, 'Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,' 3 for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths.' 4 And this John had his clothing of camel's hair, and a girdle of skin round his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and honey of the field. 5 Then were going forth unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.

7 And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming about his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! who did shew you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, 9 and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have—Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham, 10 and now also, the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree therefore not bearing good fruit is hewn down, and to fire is cast. 11 'I indeed do baptize you with water to reformation, but he who after me is coming is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to bear the sandals, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, 12 whose fan 'is' in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat to the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, 14 but John was forbidding him, saying, 'I have need by thee to be baptized—and thou dost come unto me!' 15 But Jesus answering said to him, 'Suffer now, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness,' then he doth suffer him. 16 And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo, opened to him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My Son—the Beloved, in whom I did delight.'