Page images
PDF
EPUB

so, shall be called the least' in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall perform and teach them, he shall be called 20 great' in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that

21

unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"Ye have heard that it hath been said to those of old time, 'Thou shalt do no murther;' and 'Whosoever shall 22 do murther shall be liable to the judgement.' But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be liable to the judgement: and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Thou vile man,' shall be liable to the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool*,' shall 23 be liable to hell-fire. If therefore thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath any matter 24 of complaint against thee; leave there thy gift before the al

tar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come 25 and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and 26 thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou wilt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the uttermost farthing.

27

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, "Thou shalt not 28 commit adultery.' But I say unto you, that whosoever look

eth on a woman in order to desire her, hath already com29 mitted whoredom with her in his heart. Now if thy right

eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members perish, than 30 that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from

Or, will be least-will be great, N. m. or greatest, Acts viii. 10. Heb. viii. 11. Sn. 2 to them of old time, R. T.

*Rebel or apostate. Mr. Wakefield retains the original terms Raca and Moreh, for want of proper corresponding words in the English language.

31

thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

"Now it hath been said, 'Whosoever shall put away his 32 wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement.' But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except on account of whoredom, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery.

33

"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said to those of old time, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt per34 form unto the Lord thine oaths.' But I say unto you, Swear

not in any wise*, either by the heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for 36 it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thine head; because thou canst not make one hair white or 37 black. But let your discourse be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatsoever is more than these, proceedeth from evil.

38

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eye for an 39 eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say unto you that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall strike thee on thy right 40 cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man choose to sue thee at law, and to take away thy vest, let him have thy 41 mantle also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go one 42 mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away.

43

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'Thou shalt love 44 thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.' But I say unto you, Love your enemies, [bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you,] and pray for those that injuriously treat 45 you, and persecute you: that ye may be the sons of your Father that is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the righteous 46 and on the unrighteous. For if ye love those who love you,

that ye swear not at all, N. See Wakefield. It is a prohibition not of judicial oaths, but of swearing upon trifling occasions, and by trifling objects.

what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren' only, what do ye which is ex48 cellent? do not even the gentiles3 in like manner? Be ye

therefore perfect, as your Father that is in heaven1 is perfect. CH. VI. "Take heed that ye do not your acts of righteousness before men, in order to be seen by them: otherwise, ye have no reward with your Father that is in heaven.

2

"When therefore thou doest thine alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may receive honour from men. Ve3 rily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 4 doeth that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret himself will reward thee [openly]. 5 "And when thou prayest, be not 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 by men. Ve6 rily I say unto you, [that] they have their reward. But

thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father that is in secret: and thy Father, that seeth in secret, shall reward thee [openly]. 7 But when ye pray, use not many words, as the gentiles do: for they think that they will be heard for their much speak8 ing. Be not therefore like them: for your Father knoweth 9 what things ye have need of before ye ask him. In this manner therefore pray ye: 'Our Father, who' art in hea10 ven, sanctified be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will 11 be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day the 12 food sufficient for us. And forgive us our trespasses, as we 13 also forgive those who trespass against us. And bring us 14 not into temptation, but preserve us from evil *.' For if ye

1 Some good mss. read friends. See N. m. 2 what good will this do you? W. 3 the publicans, R. T. heavenly Father, Mss. 5 alms, R. T. 6 many idle words, N. n. "babbling repetitions," W. 7 that, N.

Gr. the evil, i. e. the sin to which we are tempted, John xvii. 15. Sn.— The received text adds," for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive 15 you also: but if ye forgive not men [their offences], neither will your Father forgive your offences.

16

"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, [that] 17 they have their reward. But when thou fastest, anoint thine 18 head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father that is in secret: and thy Father that seeth in secret shall reward thee'.

19

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through 20 and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust consumeth, and where thieves 21 do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, 22 there will be your heart also. The lamp of the body is the

eye if therefore thine eye be clear, thy whole body will be 23 enlightened. But if thine eye be dim, thy whole body will

be in darkness. If therefore the light which is in thee be 24 darkness, how great must be that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 25 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Wherefore I say unto you, Take no anxious thought for your life, what ye shall eat, [or what ye shall drink;] nor for your body, with what ye shall be clothed. Is not your life more than food; and 26 your body than clothing? Behold the fowls of the air; that

they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye much better than 27 they? Now which of you, by taking anxious thought, can 28 add one cubit to his stature? And why take ye anxious

1 openly, R. T. 2 Wealth, N.

for ever. Amen." This doxology is wanting in manuscripts of the best authority, and is not noticed by the most ancient ecclesiastical writers. It is found, however, in some of the ancient versions.

thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how 29 they grow1: they neither labour nor spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like 30 one of these. Now if God so clothe the herb of the field, which flourisheth today, and tomorrow is cast into the furnace; will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Wherefore take no anxious thought, saying, 'What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, What shall we put 32 on?' (for after all these things the gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these 33 things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto 34 you. Take therefore no anxious thought about the morrow: for the morrow will take anxious thought for [the things of] itself. Sufficient to the day is its own evil.

CH. VII. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what 2 judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what mea3 sure ye deal out, it shall be measured to. you again. And why beholdest thou the splinter which is in thy brother's eye, but observest not the beam which is in thine own eye? 4 Or how canst thou say to thy brother, 'Let me take the splinter out of thine eye :' and, behold, a beam is in thine 5 own eye? Thou hypocrite, first take the beam out of thine own eye; and then thou wilt see clearly to take the splinter out of thy brother's eye.

6

7

your

"Give not that food which is holy to dogs; nor cast pearls before swine, lest they tread them under their feet, and turn and rend you.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; 8 knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him 9 that knocketh it shall be opened. What man is there among you, who, if his son shall ask bread, will give him a stone?

Consider how the lilies of the field grow, N. the righteousness required by him, N. his righteousness or justification. See Rom. i. 17.

« PreviousContinue »