The Life of Jesus

"How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me!

Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great -- they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

"You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on.

"You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don't cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

"Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete.

Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah -- not until everything that must happen has happened.

So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

"You have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not murder,'l and that anyone who commits murder will be subject to judgment.

But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgment; that whoever calls his brother, `You good-for-nothing!' will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, `Fool!' incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom!

So if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you,

leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift.

If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail!

Yes indeed! I tell you, you will certainly not get out until you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not commit adultery.'m

But I tell you that a man who even looks at a woman with the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye makes you sin, gouge it out and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom.

And if your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom.

"It was said, `Whoever divorces his wife must give her a get.'

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and that anyone who marries a divorcee commits adultery.

"Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not break your oath,' and `Keep your vows to ADONAI.'

But I tell you not to swear at all -- not `by heaven,' because it is God's throne;

not `by the earth,' because it is his footstool;p and not `by Yerushalayim,' because it is the city of the Great King.