{"collection":"Bible & Christianity","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bib/jb/jb15.htm","path":"bib/jb/jb15.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bib/jb/jb15.htm","text":"The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (the Jefferson Bible), by Thomas Jefferson, [1902]\nThe Sermon on the Mount.\nAND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:\n2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,\n3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\n4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.\n5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.\n6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.\n7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.\n8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.\n9 Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.\n10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\n11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.\n12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.\n13 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.\n14 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.\n15 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.\n16 \u00b6 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?\nit is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.\n17 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.\n18 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.\n19 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.\n20 \u00b6 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.\n21 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.\n22 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.\n23 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the\nscribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.\n24 \u00b6 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:\n25 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.\n26 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;\n27 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.\n28 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.\n29 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.\n30 \u00b6 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:\n31 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.\n32 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.\n33 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.\n34 \u00b6 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:\n35 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.\n36 \u00b6 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:\n37 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:\n38 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.\n39 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.\n40 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.\n41 \u00b6 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An Oil eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:\n42 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, I. turn to him the other also.\n43 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.\n44 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.\n45 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.\n46 \u00b6 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.\n47 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;\n48 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.\n49 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?\n50 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?\n51 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.\n52 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.\n53 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.\n54 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.\n55 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.\n56 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right band doeth:\n57 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.\n58 \u00b6 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.\n59 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.\n60 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.\n61 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.\n62 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.\n63 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\n64 Give us this day our daily bread.\n65 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.\n66 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.\n67 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:\n68 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.\n69 \u00b6 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.\n70 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;\n71 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.\n72 \u00b6 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:\n73 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.\n74 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.\n75 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.\n76 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!\n77 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon,\n78 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?\n79 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?\n80 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?\n81 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:\n82 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.\n83 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?\n84 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?\n85 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.\n86 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.\n87 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.\n88 Judge not, that ye be not judged.\n89 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.\n90 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.\n91 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?\n92 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?\n93 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.\n94 \u00b6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.\n95 \u00b6 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:\n96 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.\n97 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?\n98 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?\n99 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?\n100 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets,\n101 \u00b6 Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:\n102 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.\n103 \u00b6 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.\n104 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?\n105 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.\n106 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.\n107 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.\n108 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.\n109 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.\n110 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.\n111 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.\n112 \u00b6 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:\n113 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.\n114 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:\n115 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.\n116 \u00b6 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:\n117 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.","title":"The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (the Jefferson Bible): XI. The Sermon on the Mount","type":"page"}