7. Those who give mercy to others are happy.Mercy will be given to them.
8. Those who are pure in their thinking are happy.They will be with God.
9. Those who work to bring peace are happy.God will call them his sons.
10. Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy.The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
11. “People will say bad things about you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do these things to you, you are happy.
12. Rejoice and be glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.
13. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on.
14. “You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15. And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put the light on a lampstand. Then the light shines for all the people 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. Live so that they will 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 not come to destroy their teachings but to do what they said.
18. I tell you the truth. 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 all has happened.
19. Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the law and teaches other people to obey the law will be great in the kingdom of heaven.
20. I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not better than they are, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21. “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged.’
22. But I tell you, if you are angry with your brother, you will be judged. And if you say bad things to your brother, you will be judged by the Jewish council. And if you call your brother a fool, then you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23. “So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you,