Chapter 5
24. Widespread Fame of Jesus
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed. And from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond Jordon, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him.
And he spake to his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him: for as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him.
And the unclean spirits, whensoever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he charged them much that they should not make him known.
25. Appointment of Twelve Associates
And it came to pass in these days, that Jesus went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called his disciples: and he chose from them twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth: Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew, his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, which was called the Zealot; and Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, which was the traitor.
And Jesus came down with the twelve, and stood on a level place. And a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, came to hear him.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
Blessed are ye poor.
Blessed are ye that hunger.
Blessed are ye that weep.
Blessed are ye when men persecute you.
Ye are the salt of the earth.
Ye are the light of the world.
Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God.
Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.
If therefore thou are offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that everyone that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body. And if thy hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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 the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by Jerusalem. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head. But let your speech be Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is 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 whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would take away thy cloak, let him have thy coat also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him twain.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.
If ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.
Ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil: he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father.
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 have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received 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 which seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father, which seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.
Why beholdest thou 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 cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them.
Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God; but he that doeth the will of my Father.
By their fruits ye shall know them. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bringeth forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Every one therefore which heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 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 the rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.
Enter ye in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.
And it came to pass, when Jesus ended these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching; for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.