The Jewish Annotated New Testament (11 page)

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
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But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
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And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
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“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
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But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’
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But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
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or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
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And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
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Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
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“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
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But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;
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and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;
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and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.
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Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
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But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
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For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
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And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,
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what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
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Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

6
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

²
“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
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But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
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so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
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But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
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Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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“Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
     hallowed be your name.
     
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Your kingdom come.
     Your will be done,
              on earth as it is in heaven.
     
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Give us this day our daily bread.
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And forgive us our debts,
         as we also have forgiven our
            debtors.
     
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And do not bring us to the time of trial,
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           but rescue us from the evil one.
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¹⁴
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
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but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶
“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
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But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
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so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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¹⁹
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
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consume and where thieves break in and steal;
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but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
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consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light;
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but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
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²⁵
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,
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or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
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Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
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And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
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And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,
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yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
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But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you— you of little faith?
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Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
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For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
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But strive first for the kingdom of God
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and his
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righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

7
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.
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For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.
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Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s
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eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?
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Or how can you say to your neighbor,
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‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?
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You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s
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eye.

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“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

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“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
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For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
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Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?
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Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?
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If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

¹²
“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

¹³
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy
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that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.
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For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.