7. Great blessings belong to those who show mercy to others. Mercy will be given to them.
8. Great blessings belong to those whose thoughts are pure. They will be with God.
9. Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them his sons and daughters.
10. Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. God’s kingdom belongs to them.
11. “People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you.
12. Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.
13. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.
14. “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden.
15. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house.
16. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
17. “Don’t think that I have come to destroy the Law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have come not to destroy their teachings but to give full meaning to them.
18. I assure you that nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until it has all been done.
19. “A person should obey every command in the law, even one that does not seem important. Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches others not to obey it will be the least important in God’s kingdom. But whoever obeys the law and teaches others to obey it will be great in God’s kingdom.
20. I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not more pleasing to God than they are, you will never enter God’s kingdom.
21. “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Any person who commits murder will be judged.’
22. But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23. “So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you?