means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. : "Ye have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' but I say unto you, Every one who looketh on a woman so as to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. Now if thy right eye is leading thee to sin,1 pluck it out, and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and that thy whole body should not be cast into hell. And if thy right hand is leading thee to sin, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and that thy whole body should not be cast into hell. "Now it was said, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:' but I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that hath been put away, committeth adultery.2 "Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:' but I say unto you, Swear not at all neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay : for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. "Ye have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:' but I say unto you, Resist not evil: but unto him that striketh thee on the right cheek, 1 v. H. n. 2 See L. xvi. 18. Part V. Sect. VII. §. 4. also. 1 offer also the other; and if any one desires to sue thee at law, and to take away thy vest, let him have thy mantle And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to every one that asketh of thee; and from him that desireth to borrow from thee turn not thou away and from him that taketh away what is thine ask it not again. "Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy' but I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 3 And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thanks have ye? for sinners also do the same. And if ye salute your brethren only, what ye that is excellent? do not even the heathens so? And if ye lend to those from whom ye hope to receive again, what thanks have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, that they may receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the most High: for he is kind unto the unthankful and evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also who is in heaven is merciful.4 do "Take heed that ye do not your acts of righteousness before men, in order to be seen by them; for otherwise ye 1 M.: him that taketh away thy mantle, forbid not to take thy vest also, L. 2 c. H. n. 3 M. for sinners also love those that love them, L. 4 L.: perfect, M. have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall himself reward thee openly. : "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions,1 as the heathens do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: 'Our Father who art in heaven: hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. Give us this * 3 : day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,3 as we also forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'4 For if ye forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences. "Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they 1 Or, many idle words: or, a vain multiplicity of words. 2 Or, the food necessary for our subsistence. 3 Lit. our debts-our debtors: v. H. n. 4 v. H. n. may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee. "Treasure not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,1 where moth, and rust also, corrupteth, and where thieves break through and steal: but treasure up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupteth, and where thieves break not through nor steal for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. "The lamp of the body is the eye: 2 if therefore thine eye be clear, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be disordered, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee is darkness, how great that darkness! body, what ye "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.3 Therefore I say unto you, Take no anxious thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the birds of the air, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into granaries; and yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Now which of you, by taking anxious thought, can add one cubit to his life? And why take ye anxious thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, nor do they spin; yet I say unto you, Not 1 See L. xii. 33, 34. (Part V. Sect. XIV. §. 3.) 2 See L. xi. 34, 35. (Part V. Sect. X. §. 2.) 3 Or, riches. Mammon was a deity presiding over wealth. See L. xii. 22-31. (Part V. Sect. XIV. §. 3.) G even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.1 Now if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is there, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no anxious thought, saying, What can we eat? or, What can we drink? or, What can we put on? (for all these things the Gentiles seek after :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of it; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no anxious thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take anxious thought for the things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. "Judge not, that ye be not judged : 2 condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released : give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the same measure with which ye measure, it shall be measured to you again." (And he spake a pro verb unto them: "Can a blind man lead a blind man ? will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher; but every one fully instructed will be as his teacher.3) And why dost thou observe the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how canst thou say to thy brother, 'Brother, let me take out the mote that is in thine eye;' and, behold, a beam is 4 in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first take out the beam from thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 1 v. H. n 2 M. and ye shall not be judged, L. : 3 Or, but every one will be exactly trained as his teacher. 4 M. though thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is, L. |