A deeper righteousness

Matthew 5:21–48 WEB

²¹“You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²²But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. ²³“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. ²⁶Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny. ²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ ²⁸but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. ³⁰If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. ³¹“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ ³²but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. ³³“Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ ³⁴but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; ³⁵nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. ³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴²Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. ⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁸Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.