Matthew 5:21-48

21“1You have heard that 2the ancients were told, ‘3You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be 4liable to 5the court.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be 6guilty before 7the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘8You good-for-nothing,’ shall be 9guilty before 1011the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be 12guilty enough to go into the 1314fiery hell. 23Therefore if you are 15presenting your 16offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your 17offering there before the altar and go; first be 18reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your 19offering. 2520Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26Truly I say to you, 21you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last 22cent.

27“23You have heard that it was said, ‘24You shall not commit adultery’; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman 25with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 2926If your right eye makes you 27stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you 28to lose one of the parts of your body, 29than for your whole body to be thrown into 3031hell. 3032If your right hand makes you 33stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you 34to lose one of the parts of your body, 35than for your whole body to go into 3637hell.

31“It was said, ‘38Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 3239but I say to you that everyone who 40divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a 41divorced woman commits adultery.

33“Again, 42you have heard that 43the ancients were told, ‘4445You shall not 46make false vows, but shall fulfill your 47vows to the Lord.’ 34But I say to you, 48make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is 49the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the 50footstool of His feet, or 51by Jerusalem, for it is 52the city of the great King. 36Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is 53of 54evil.

38“55You have heard that it was said, ‘56An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but 57whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take your 58shirt, let him have your 59coat also. 41Whoever 60forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 4261Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43“62You have heard that it was said, ‘63You shall love your neighbor 64and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, 65love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may 66be 67sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46For 68if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Therefore 6970you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.