On a hillside, Jesus taught his disciples and others what kind of people God esteems.

1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hillside. He sat down in order to teach his disciples. They came near to him to listen to him.

2Then he began to teach them by saying,

3God is pleased with people who recognize that they have a spiritual need;
he will allow them to be the people whose lives he rules over.

4God is pleased with people who mourn because they have sinned;
they will be encouraged {he will encourage them.}

5God is pleased with people who are meek;
they will inherit the earth that God will recreate.

6God is pleased with people who sincerely desire to live righteously just like they desire to eat and drink [MET];
they will be enabled {he will enable them} to do all that he desires [MET].

7God is pleased with people who act mercifully;
he will act mercifully to them.

8God is pleased with people who think only about that which pleases him;
some day they will be where God is and will see him.

9God is pleased with people who help other people to live peacefully;
they will be considered to be {he will consider that they are} his children [MET].

10God is pleased with people to whom evil things are done {to whom other people do evil things} because they conducted themselves righteously;
he will allow them to be where he rules over people.

11God is pleased with you when other people insult you, when other people do evil things to you and when other people say falsely that you are evil because you believe in me.

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When that happens, rejoice and be glad [DOU], because God will give you a great reward in heaven. God will think highly of you, just like he thought highly of the prophets whom your ancestors persecuted long ago.

Jesus taught that we should live in such a way that other people will see how we live and will praise God.

13“You are able to influence evil people [MTY] and improve the way they live in order that they do not become more evil, just like salt is able to improve the flavor of food and to preserve it [MET] from spoiling. Salt that no longer tastes salty cannot become salty again [RHQ]. As a result, that salt becomes useless. It is rejected by people, thrown on the ground, and walked on {People reject it, throw it on the ground and walk on it} [MET]. Similarly, if the way you live no longer influences people to live in a godly manner, God will reject you.

14You enable evil people [MTY] to perceive God’s truth as a light enables people to perceive what is around them. Just like everyone can see [LIT] the lights of a city on a hill [MET], other people can see what you do.

15After people light a lamp, they never put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand in their houses in order that it can shine on everyone there.

16Similarly, you need to do what is right [MET] in such a manner that other people can see the good deeds that you do, and as a result they will praise your Father who is in heaven.”

Jesus taught that it is important to obey all of God’s commandments.

17“I came to earth, not to annul the laws that God gave Moses or what the prophets [MTY] wrote. Instead, I came to cause to happen what the authors of those books predicted would happen. So do not think any longer that I have come to earth in order that I might annul what they wrote.

18Keep this in mind: Every point of those laws, including those points that seem least important, and even the smallest details of the laws [MTY] will surely be in effect [HYP, LIT] until the heavens and the earth disappear and until all that God told their authors to write happens.

19Since all God’s laws are important, if anyone disobeys any of those commandments, even if it would be one of the least important ones, and if that person teaches people to disobey any of those commandments, it will be said {God will say} that that person is the least important of those in the place where [EUP] God rules. But those who obey those commandments and teach other people to obey them, it will be said {God will say} that they are very important among those that God rules.

20Keep this in mind: You assume that the Pharisees and the men who teach our laws faithfully obey what God commands. But if you do not obey those laws better than they obey them, you will by no means enter the place where God rules.”

Jesus taught that we should not be angry, and that we should quickly settle accounts with those whom we have wronged.

21“You have heard your religious teachers say that it was said {that Moses said} to your ancestors, ‘Do not murder anyone.’ This implied that if someone murders another person, the judge will condemn that person and sentence him to be executed {say that someone must execute him}.

22But what I say to you is this: If you are angry with someone, God will judge you. If you say to someone, ‘You are worthless,’ the Jewish Council will judge you. If you hate someone, and say to them 'You fool!' you. yourself, will be in danger of being thrown into the fires in hell.

23So, when you take your gift for God to the altar, if you remember that you have offended someone,

24leave your gift by the altar, and first go to the person you have offended. Tell that person that you are sorry for what you have done, and ask that person to forgive you. Then go back and offer your gift to God.

25Also, when a fellow citizen takes you to court in order to accuse you, settle accounts with that person quickly while you are walking with that person to court. Do that while there still is time to do so in order that he will not take you to the judge, because if the judge favors the person who is accusing you, he will declare that you are guilty and send you to the prison guard, and the prison guard will put you in prison.

26Keep this in mind: If you go to prison, you will never get out because you will never be able to pay all that the judge says that you owe [MET]. And remember also that you ought to settle accounts with God before you die, too.”

Jesus taught about the way to refuse to sin when we are tempted to do something wrong.

27“You have heard God’s commandment, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

28But what I say to you is this: If a man only looks at a woman desiring to have sex with her, God considers that his doing that [MET] is sin.

29If because of what you see [MTY] you are tempted to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away [HYP] to avoid sinning, do it! It is good that you not sin and as a result go to heaven, even though while you are still here on earth you lack one or both of your eyes. But it is not good that you continue to have two eyes and sin and, as a result, God sends your whole body to hell.

30If you are tempted to use one of your hands to sin [MTY], stop using your hand. Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away to avoid sinning, do it [HYP]! It is good that you do not sin and as a result you go to heaven, even though while you are still here on earth you lack one or both of your hands. But it is not good that you sin and, as a result, God sends your whole body to hell.”

Jesus taught that people should not divorce their spouses.

31“It is written {Moses wrote}, ‘If a man is divorcing his wife, he should write a document on which he states that he is divorcing her.’

32But now listen to what I say to you: A man may divorce his wife only if she has committed adultery, and not for any other reason. If a man divorces his wife for any other reason, and he has sex with another woman, he makes his wife become one against whom he has committed adultery, because in God’s estimation she still is his wife. Also, if a man marries a woman who is divorced {whose husband has divorced her}, God considers him guilty of committing adultery.”

Jesus taught that people should not add anything to make their words more credible when they promise to do something.

33“You have also heard your religious teachers say that it was written {that Moses wrote} to your ancestors, ‘Make sure that you do what you promised the Lord that you would do!’ [DOU]

34But now listen to what I say to you: Never promise to do anything and then ask a superior being to affirm that what you are saying will happen. For example, do not promise that you will give something and then ask spiritual beings in heaven [MTY] to affirm that you will do it, because heaven is where God sits on his throne [MTY] to rule over people.

35Also, do not promise that you will give something and then ask spiritual beings on earth [MTY] to affirm that you will do it, because the earth is where God rests his feet [MET]. Also, do not promise that you will do something and ask religious authorities in Jerusalem to affirm that you will do it, because Jerusalem is the city where God, the great King rules.

36Also, do not promise that you will do something and then say that your head should be cut off {someone should cut off your head} if you do not do it. You are not even able to change the color of the hair of your head by making one black hair white or one white hair black.

37If you talk about doing something, just say ‘Yes, I will do it,’ or ‘No, I will not do it.’ If you say anything more than that, it is from Satan, the Evil One.”

Jesus taught that everyone should be kind to all people, even to people who mistreat us.

38“You have heard your religious teachers say that it is written {Moses wrote}, ‘Retaliate like this: If someone damages one of your eyes, someone should damage one of that person’s eyes. If someone damages one of your teeth, someone should damage one of that person’s teeth.’

39But now listen to what I say to you: Do not take revenge for evil deeds done {that other people do} to you. Instead, if someone insults you by striking you on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward that person in order that he can strike it also.

40If someone wants to sue you and take your ◄inner garment/shirt►, give him your ◄outer garment/coat► also.

41If a military authority compels you to go with him one mile and carry his gear, go with him two miles and carry his gear.

42Also, if someone asks you for something, give him what he is asking for. If someone requests you to lend him something, do not refuse to lend it to him.”

Jesus taught that we should love the people whom we would not normally love.

43“You have heard your religious teachers say that it is written that Moses wrote, ‘Love the citizens of your country and hate your enemies.’

44But now listen to what I say to you: Love your enemies as well as your friends, and pray for those who cause you to suffer.

45Do that in order to imitate what God, your Father who is in heaven, does. He desires that you [MET] do like he does. He acts kindly to all people. For example, he causes the sun to shine equally on wicked people and on good people, and he sends rain both on righteous people and on unrighteous people.

46If you love only the people who love you, ◄do not expect God to reward you in heaven!/will God reward you in heaven?► [RHQ] This is based on the fact that everyone, even the tax collectors, who you think are very great sinners, love [RHQ] those who love them. If you act like them, ◄you are not any different from tax collectors!/in what way are you different from tax collectors?► [RHQ]

47If you want God to bless only your friends, ◄you are not acting any better than other people!/are you acting any better than other people?► [RHQ] Even the non-Jews, who you think sin very much (OR, you think are unacceptable to God), want God to bless their friends [RHQ], but God does not reward them for that.

48You need to love those who do not love you, and in that way become perfect as God your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect.”