The Mountain Covenant Returned
A Shuva Brit Translation | Levi bar-Kalfai ha-Mattit'yahu | chapter V
Clause I | Citizenship in the Commonwealth
1 When Yehoshua saw how many had joined him in Galilee - farmers, widows, tradesmen, all worn down by debt and deprivation - he climbed the hillside and sat.
His students drew near, so too did his supporters and friends, all those who had come to join him waited for the silence to settle.
Then he began to speak—plainly, like one writing law on air.
3 | The Dispossessed
You who have been emptied out—
the ones the world has stripped of every guarantee,
who carry nothing now but the breath in your lungs—
you are the beginning of this renewed Commonwealth.
The return of the Heavens has already begun with you.
4 | The Grieving
You who still weep—
who haven’t hardened yourselves against loss—
you will find comfort; what grief has stripped away
will be restored in the Covenant.
5 | The Gentle and Defiant
You who refuse to rule by the fist—
who keep your strength in open hands—
you will inherit the land,
not as possession but as trust renewed in holy stewardship.
6 | The Hungry for Justice
You who ache for justice the way the body aches for bread,
who thirst for fairness until your throat burns—
you will be totally satisfied; justice itself will manifest to sustain you.
7 | The Merciful
You who interrupt the chain of repayment,
who cancel what’s owed because compassion demanded it—
your embodied solidarity and fidelity will return to you measure for measure.
8 | The Clear-Hearted
You whose inner life is unpolluted by deceit or self-profit—
you will see the Guardian Presence with your own eyes;
nothing will obscure your view of the light.
9 | The Makers of Peace
You who mend what conflict has broken,
who choose reconciliation over revenge—
you will be recognized as Heirs of the High One.
10 | The Persecuted for Justice
You who are hounded, shut out, or branded dangerous
because you refused to abandon what is right—
the Commonwealth of the Heavens is already yours.
It begins wherever you stand your ground.
11–12 | The Continuity Clause
And when they insult you, drag your name through the mud,
or twist your narratives because you stand with me—
don’t despair. Take a little courage.
You’re walking the same road the prophets walked;
their endurance is the down-payment of your reward.
Commentary Note:
In the idiom of Shuva B’rit, these are not moral compliments but entrance clauses—
the qualifications for citizenship in the Covenant Commonwealth.
Yehoshua speaks as a legislator of liberation:
the dispossessed become founders,
the mourners become rebuilders,
the meek inherit administration of the land,
and the persecuted receive immediate jurisdiction within the realm of justice.
Clause II | Praxes of the Commonwealth
13 In the Commonwealth, you’re all like salt; the world is a tasteless place without you.
When you trade away everything that makes you salty, the rest of the world becomes bland and starts to rot.
So stay sharp—this whole work hinges on you staying engaged each day.
14 You are also the light of the world.
A city built high on a hill isn’t meant to go dark.
15 No one lights a candle just to hide it under a bucket; the lamp belongs on a stand, where its glow reaches every corner of the house.
16 In that same way, let your light be seen in what you do.
Let people witness what justice actually looks like when it’s lived,
and perhaps they too will recognize that the Guardian Presence has already arrived among them.
17 And please don’t misunderstand this: nothing in my mission is meant to erase the Torah or discard the Prophets.
I came to bring into being the very thing they envisioned and began long ago.
18 Every declaration from Moshe onward will stand firm until Justice has taken its full breath.
Not one stroke or accent will vanish from the Covenant’s charter until its purpose is complete.
19 So hear this about justice: there are no shortcuts, no small privileges in this project.
It demands daily mercies [chesed]and constant fairness in your own households and dealings.
If you neglect those, you shrink your own role in this movement;
but whoever lives it and teaches it forward, that one is truly great in the Commonwealth.
20 And understand this plainly: unless your justice cuts deeper than the lawyers and bureaucrats who hold themselves above their own rulings,
and the party-line priests who love the sound of their own piety,
you will not find your way into the Commonwealth at all.
Editorial Note:
Clause Two sets out the civic obligations of Covenant citizens: preserve what is good (salt), illuminate what is hidden (light), progress and complete—not discard or nullify—the ancient constitution, and practice justice that reaches beyond legal compliance into daily compassion.
Clause III | The Statutes of Reparation
21 It’s a law as old as our ancestors, “You shall not murder.” We all understand that whoever commits murder is subject to judgment.
22 Yet I take it much further: the rot starts much earlier than violent acts.
If you harbor anger against your fellow, if you cut someone off with contempt or call them worthless, you’ve already killed a part of them.
Reconciliation isn’t optional; it’s the first line of repair.
23 So if you’re bringing an offering to the altar and remember that someone has a grievance against you,
24 drop the gift on the spot and leave; first go make restore peace between the two of you, only then come back and approach the Presence.
Justice that ignores interpersonal obligations and relationships is no justice at all.
25 When a rift does grow, settle things quickly with your accuser before it escalates into a court fight that neither of you will win.
26 You can’t buy your way out of resentment with coins; pay your debts in honesty before they harden into prisons.
27 You’ve heard it said, “Do not commit adultery.”
28 And you shouldn’t. Yet I’m saying: the betrayal begins in the stare that turns another person into an object.
29 If part of you keeps feeding that hunger, cut it off—better to lose an appetite than to lose your integrity.
31 It’s also been said, “Whoever wants to divorce must issue a certificate.”
32 I tell you this: if you dismiss your partner for convenience, you write violence into someone else’s story.
Honor the Covenant; don’t turn people into replaceable parts.
33 And on that note let’s talk about commitments. You’ve heard it said, “Do not swear falsely, but keep your vows to the Guardian.”
34 I tell you, stop performing oaths altogether—
35 don’t swear by heaven, or by the earth, or by Jerusalem, or even by your own head.
36 Just let your “Yes” mean yes, and your “No” mean no.
Anything more than that is just attempting to bargain with the truth.
38 You’ve heard, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”
39 But I’m telling you, don’t mirror violence at all.
If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other—not in surrender, but to expose the humiliation code itself.
40 If someone demands the very clothes on your body as symbolic collateral for a loan, expose their shameful greed by giving them all your clothes, and leave them without leverage.
41 If a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, go two; make the oppression seem absurd even to their commanders.
42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who need to borrow.
This is how we de-fang the power structures around us.
43 I’m well aware that it’s commonly said that you should “love your neighbor and hate your enemy.”
44 Yet I say that you’re actually required to love your enemies. I expect you to stop and help those who curse you, perform kindness to those who treat you hatefully, and even pray for those who take advantage of you.
45 This is the primary mechanism for becoming the true Heirs of your Father in the Heavens—
the One who doesn’t withhold the sun or the rain from the unjust any more than he does the Just Ones [Tzaddikiim].
46 Besides, if you’re the kind of people who show up only for those who are capable of paying you back, then tell me what you think is so special about that!
47 If you’re hospitable and warm only your own cliques and circle of friends, how does that differ from elitist imperial etiquette?
48 You must push yourself to mature toward integrated wholeness in the same way that your Guardian in the heavens has done.
Editorial Note:
Clause Three completes the Mount Charter by replacing retribution with restoration.
Violence is broken by reconciliation.
Possession is restrained by covenant fidelity.
Speech is purified by simplicity.
Power is unmasked by voluntary excess of mercy.
Love expands until even the enemy is included.
These are not ideals for saints—they are the operational statutes of a society redeemed from debt and domination.
Sourcing and Editing
Syriac Peshitta (Untranslated, with Transliterations)
1 ܟܕ ܚܙܐ ܝܫܘܥ ܠܟܢܫܐ ܣܠܩ ܠܛܘܪܐ ܘܟܕ ܝܬܒ ܩܪܘ ܠܘܬܗ ܬܠܡܝܕܘܗܝ
kad ḥzā Yēshuʿ l-kanšā, slaq l-ṭūrā; w-kad yathab, qarū l-watéh talmīdawhī.
2 ܘܦܬܚ ܦܘܡܗ ܘܡܠܦ ܗܘܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܘܐܡܪ
w-petaḥ pūmeh w-malp hawā lehōn w-ʾamar.
3 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܡܣܟܢܐ ܒܪܘܚܐ ܕܕܝܠܗܘܢ ܗܝ ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ
ṭūbeyhōn l-meskené b-rūḥā d-dīlhōn hī malkwuthā d-šmayyā.
4 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܐܒܝܠܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܢܬܒܝܐܘܢ
ṭūbeyhōn l-ʾavilé d-henōn nethbāyūn.
5 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܡܟܝܟܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܢܐܪܬܘܢ ܠܐܪܥܐ
ṭūbeyhōn l-mekīkē d-henōn neʾrthūn l-arʿā.
6 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܐܝܢܐ ܕܟܦܢܝܢ ܘܨܗܝܢ ܠܟܢܘܬܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܢܣܒܥܘܢ
ṭūbeyhōn l-ʾēnē d-kəphnīn w-ṣehīn l-kenūthā d-henōn nesbaʿūn.
7 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܡܚܢܢܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܢܬܚܢܢܘܢ
ṭūbeyhōn l-meḥnané d-henōn nethḥannānūn.
8 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܕܟܝܐ ܒܠܒܗܘܢ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܢܚܙܘܢ ܠܐܠܗܐ
ṭūbeyhōn l-dakké b-libhōn d-henōn neḥzūn l-Alāhā.
9 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܥܒܕܝ ܫܠܡܐ ܕܒܢܝܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܢܬܩܪܘܢ
ṭūbeyhōn l-ʿabday šlamā d-bnayh d-Alāhā nethqārūn.
10 ܛܘܒܝܗܘܢ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܐܬܕܐܪܘ ܡܛܠ ܟܢܘܬܐ ܕܕܝܠܗܘܢ ܗܝ ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ
ṭūbeyhōn l-ʾaylīn d-ethdārū meṭṭul kenūthā d-dīlhōn hī malkwuthā d-šmayyā.
11 ܛܘܒܝܟܘܢ ܡܐ ܕܚܣܕܘܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܘܪܕܦܘܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܘܐܡܪܘ ܥܠܝܟܘܢ ܟܠ ܡܠܐ ܒܝܫܐ ܡܛܠܝ ܒܕܓܠܐ
ṭūbeykūn mā d-ḥasadūn l-khūn w-radpūn l-khūn w-ʾamrū ʿlaykūn kol melā bīshā meṭṭulī b-dǝglā.
12 ܚܕܘ ܘܐܘܠܨܘ ܕܐܓܪܟܘܢ ܣܓܝ ܒܫܡܝܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܪܕܦܘ ܠܢܒܝܐ ܕܩܕܡܝܟܘܢ
ḥadū w-ʾūlṣu d-ʾagrkūn saggī b-šmayyā; haknā gīr radpū l-neviyē d-qadmīkūn.
13 ܐܢܬܘܢ ܐܝܬܘܢ ܡܠܚܐ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܐܢ ܕܝܢ ܡܠܚܐ ܬܦܟܚ ܒܡܢܐ ܬܬܡܠܚ ܠܡܕܡ ܠܐ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܐܠܐ ܕܢܫܬܕܐ ܠܒܪ ܘܢܬܕܝܫ ܡܢ ܒܢܝܢܫܐ
ʾantūn ʾīthūn melḥā d-arʿā; ʾan dīn melḥā tephqaḥ, b-manā tethmelaḥ? l-medem lā ʾīthweh ellā d-nesteda l-bar w-nethdīš men benaynāšā.
14 ܐܢܬܘܢ ܐܝܬܘܢ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܕܥܠܡܐ ܠܐ ܡܫܟܚܐ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܐܝܬܝܗ ܥܠ ܛܘܪܐ ܕܬܬܛܫܐ
ʾantūn ʾīthūn nūhrā d-ʿālmā; lā meškhḥā madīnṯā d-ʾīthyā ʿal ṭūrā d-tetṭašē.
15 ܠܐ ܡܢܗܪܝܢ ܫܪܓܐ ܘܣܝܡܝܢ ܠܗ ܬܚܝܬ ܣܐ ܐܠܐ ܥܠ ܡܢܪܬܐ ܘܢܗܪ ܠܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܒܒܝܬܐ
lā manhērīn šrāgā w-sīmīn leh taḥyth sā, ellā ʿal menrṯā w-nahr l-kolhōn d-b-baytā.
16 ܗܟܢܐ ܢܗܪ ܢܘܗܪܟܘܢ ܩܕܡ ܒܢܝܢܫܐ ܕܢܚܙܘܢ ܥܒܕܝܟܘܢ ܛܒܐ ܘܢܫܒܚܘܢ ܠܐܒܘܟܘܢ ܕܒܫܡܝܐ
haknā nahr nūhrkhūn qḏām benaynāšā d-neḥzūn ʿbadaykhūn ṭābē w-nešabbaḥūn l-ʾabūkhūn d-b-šmayyā.
17 ܠܐ ܬܣܒܪܘܢ ܕܐܬܝܬ ܕܐܫܪܐ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܐܘ ܢܒܝܐ ܠܐ ܐܬܝܬ ܕܐܫܪܐ ܐܠܐ ܕܐܫܠܡ
lā tesbarn d-ʾathīt d-ʾašrē namūsā ʾaw neviyē; lā ʾathīt d-ʾašrē ellā d-ʾašlēm.
18 ܐܡܝܢ ܓܝܪ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܥܕܡܐ ܕܢܥܒܪܘܢ ܫܡܝܐ ܘܐܪܥܐ ܝܘܕ ܚܕܐ ܐܘ ܩܘܫܝܐ ܚܕܐ ܠܐ ܬܥܒܪ ܡܢ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܢܗܘܐ
ʾāmīn gīr ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-ʿadmā d-neʿbarūn šmayyā w-arʿā, yōḏ ḥadā ʾaw qušyā ḥadā lā teʿbar men namūsā ʿadmā d-kolh nehwē.
19 ܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܗܟܝܠ ܢܫܪܐ ܚܕܐ ܡܢ ܦܩܕܐ ܗܠܝܢ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ ܘܢܠܦ ܗܟܢܐ ܠܒܢܝܢܫܐ ܙܥܘܪܐ ܢܬܩܪܐ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܘܟܠ ܕܢܥܒܕ ܘܢܠܦ ܗܢܐ ܪܒܐ ܢܬܩܪܐ
kol men d-hakīl nešrē ḥadā men peqḏē hallēn zʿūrṯā w-nelap haknā l-benaynāšā, zʿūrā nethqārē b-malkwuthā d-šmayyā; w-kol d-neʿbad w-nelap hanā rabbā nethqārē.
20 ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܐܠܐ ܝܬܝܪܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܙܕܝܩܘܬܟܘܢ ܡܢ ܕܟܬܒܐ ܘܡܢ ܦܪܝܫܐ ܠܐ ܬܥܘܠܘܢ ܠܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ
ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-ellā yetīrā tehweh zaddīqūthkhūn men d-kethābē w-men Parīšē, lā teʿūlūn l-malkwuthā d-šmayyā.
21 ܫܡܥܬܘܢ ܕܐܬܐܡܪ ܠܩܕܡܝܐ ܠܐ ܬܩܛܘܠ ܘܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܩܛܘܠ ܡܚܝܒ ܗܘ ܠܕܝܢܐ
šmaʿtūn d-ethʾemar l-qadmāyē lā teqṭol w-kol men d-neqṭol meḥayeb hū l-dīnā.
22 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܪܓܙ ܥܠ ܐܚܘܗܝ ܕܝܠܐ ܡܚܝܒ ܗܘ ܠܕܝܢܐ ܘܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܐܡܪ ܠܐܚܘܗܝ ܪܩܐ ܡܚܝܒ ܗܘ ܠܒܝܬ ܕܝܢܐ ܘܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܐܡܪ ܠܗ ܫܛܐ ܡܚܝܒ ܗܘ ܠܓܗܢܐ ܕܢܘܪܐ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-kol men d-nargaz ʿal ʾaḥūhī dīleh meḥayeb hū l-dīnā; w-kol men d-ʾamar l-ʾaḥūhī raqā meḥayeb hū l-bēṯ dīnā; w-kol men d-ʾamar leh šaṭṭā meḥayeb hū l-gehannā d-nūrā.
23 ܐܢ ܗܟܝܠ ܬܩܪܒ ܩܘܪܒܢܟ ܥܠ ܡܕܒܚܐ ܘܬܬܕܟܪ ܬܡܢ ܕܐܚܘܟ ܐܝܬ ܠܗ ܥܠܝܟ ܡܕܡ
ʾan hakīl teqreb qurbānākh ʿal madbḥā w-tetdekar tammān d-ʾaḥūkh ʾīth leh ʿlayk medem.
24 ܫܒܘܩ ܬܡܢ ܩܘܪܒܢܟ ܩܕܡ ܡܕܒܚܐ ܘܙܠ ܘܐܬܪܥܐ ܥܡ ܐܚܘܟ ܘܗܝܕܝܢ ܬܐܬܐ ܬܩܪܒ ܩܘܪܒܢܟ
šbuq tammān qurbānākh qḏām madbḥā w-zel w-ethreʿ ʿam ʾaḥūkh; w-heydēn tēthē teqreb qurbānākh.
25 ܗܘܝ ܨܒܝ ܥܡ ܒܥܠ ܕܝܢܟ ܥܓܠ ܥܕ ܐܢܬ ܥܡܗ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܠܡܐ ܢܫܠܡܟ ܠܕܝܢܐ ܘܕܝܢܐ ܢܫܠܡܟ ܠܕܘܢܝܐ ܘܬܦܠ ܒܝܬ ܐܣܝܪܐ
hawī ṣbī ʿam baʿal dīnākh ʿeḡel ʿed ʾant ʿameh b-ʾurḥā, d-lmā nešlmekh l-dīnā w-dīnā nešlmekh l-dayānā w-tephel b-bēṯ ʾasīrā.
26 ܐܡܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟ ܕܠܐ ܬܦܘܩ ܡܢ ܬܡܢ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܬܬܠ ܫܡܢܐ ܚܕܐ
ʾāmīn ʾamar ʾānā lakh d-lā tefūq men tammān ʿadmā d-tetl šemnā ḥadā.
27 ܫܡܥܬܘܢ ܕܐܬܐܡܪ ܠܐ ܬܓܘܪ
šmaʿtūn d-ethʾemar lā tegur.
28 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܚܘܪ ܒܐܢܬܬܐ ܕܢܪܓ ܒܗ ܡܢ ܟܕܘ ܓܡܪ ܒܗ ܒܠܒܗ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-kol men d-neḥūr b-anṯṯā d-nerg beh, men kadū gmar beh b-libbeh.
29 ܐܢ ܕܝܢ ܥܝܢܟ ܕܝܡܝܢܐ ܡܟܫܠܐ ܠܟ ܚܙܝ ܐܦܩܝܗ ܡܢܟ ܛܒ ܗܘ ܠܟ ܕܢܐܒܕ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܗܕܡܟ ܘܠܐ ܟܠܗ ܦܓܪܟ ܢܦܠ ܠܓܗܢܐ
ʾan dīn ʿaynākh d-yemīnā makšlā lakh, ḥzī ʾapheqīh menakh; ṭāb hū lakh d-naʾbad ḥad men hadhmākh w-lā kolh pagrākh nepel l-gehannā.
30 ܘܐܢ ܝܕܟ ܕܝܡܝܢܐ ܡܟܫܠܐ ܠܟ ܦܣܩܝܗ ܘܫܕܝܗ ܡܢܟ ܛܒ ܗܘ ܠܟ ܕܢܐܒܕ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܗܕܡܟ ܘܠܐ ܟܠܗ ܦܓܪܟ ܢܐܙܠ ܠܓܗܢܐ
ʾan yadākh d-yemīnā makšlā lakh, peqṣīh w-šeḏdīh menakh; ṭāb hū lakh d-naʾbad ḥad men hadmākh w-lā kolh pagrākh neʾzel l-gehannā.
31 ܐܬܐܡܪ ܕܡܢ ܕܢܫܪܐ ܐܢܬܬܗ ܢܬܠ ܠܗ ܟܬܒ ܕܫܘܒܩܢܐ
ethʾemar d-men d-nešrē anṯṯeh netel leh kṯāb d-šūbqānā.
32 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܢܫܪܐ ܐܢܬܬܗ ܒܠܐ ܡܠܬܐ ܕܙܢܝܘܬܐ ܥܒܕ ܠܗ ܕܬܓܘܪ ܘܡܢ ܕܢܣܒ ܫܪܝܬܐ ܓܐܪ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-kol men d-nešrē anṯṯeh b-lā meltā d-zanyūthā, ʿbad leh d-tegūr; w-men d-nesab šaryṯā gār.
33 ܬܘܒ ܫܡܥܬܘܢ ܕܐܬܐܡܪ ܠܩܕܡܝܐ ܕܠܐ ܬܡܫܩ ܒܝܡܐ ܘܬܫܠܡ ܠܡܪܝܐ ܫܘܘܥܬܝܟ
tūb šmaʿtūn d-ethʾemar l-qadmāyē d-lā temšaq b-yammā w-tešlem l-Maryā šūʿʿthāyk.
34 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܠܐ ܬܐܡܘܢ ܠܟܠܠ ܠܐ ܒܫܡܝܐ ܕܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܗܘ ܕܐܠܗܐ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-lā tēmun l-kallel; lā b-šmayyā d-kūrsiyyā hū d-Alāhā.
35 ܘܠܐ ܒܐܪܥܐ ܕܟܘܒܫܐ ܗܝ ܕܬܚܝܬ ܪܓܠܘܗܝ ܘܠܐ ܒܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܗܝ ܕܡܠܟܐ ܪܒܐ
w-lā b-arʿā d-kūbšā hī d-taḥyth raglōhī, w-lā b-Urishlem d-madīnthā hī d-malkā rabbā.
36 ܘܠܐ ܒܪܫܟ ܕܬܡܐ ܕܠܐ ܡܫܟܚ ܐܢܬ ܕܬܥܒܕ ܣܥܪܐ ܚܕ ܐܘ ܚܘܪܐ ܐܘ ܚܘܪܐ
w-lā b-raškh d-tēmā; d-lā meškhāḥ ʾant d-taʿbad saʿrā ḥad ʾaw ḥūrā.
37 ܐܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܡܠܬܟܘܢ ܐܝܢ ܐܝܢ ܘܠܐ ܠܐ ܕܡܢ ܝܬܝܪ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܡܢ ܒܝܫܐ ܗܘ
ellā tehwē meltkhūn ʾēn ʾēn, w-lā lā; d-men yetīr men hallēn men bīšā hū.
38 ܫܡܥܬܘܢ ܕܐܬܐܡܪ ܥܝܢܐ ܚܠܦ ܥܝܢܐ ܘܫܢܐ ܚܠܦ ܫܢܐ
šmaʿtūn d-ethʾemar ʿaynā ḥlap ʿaynā w-šenā ḥlap šenā.
39 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܠܐ ܬܩܘܡܘܢ ܠܩܘܒܠ ܒܝܫܐ ܐܠܐ ܡܢ ܕܡܚܐ ܠܟ ܥܠ ܦܟܟ ܕܝܡܝܢܐ ܦܢܐ ܠܗ ܐܦ ܐܚܪܢܐ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn d-lā teqūmūn l-qūbal bīšā; ellā men d-meḥē lakh ʿal pakhkh d-yemīnā, paneh leh ʾap ʾaḥrānā.
40 ܘܠܡܢ ܕܨܐܒ ܕܢܕܢ ܥܡܟ ܘܢܣܒ ܟܘܬܝܢܟ ܫܒܘܩ ܠܗ ܐܦ ܡܪܛܘܬܟ
w-lemen d-ṣāb d-nedīn ʿamakh w-nesab kūthīnākh, šbuq leh ʾap martūthakh.
41 ܘܡܢ ܕܡܫܚܕ ܠܟ ܕܬܐܙܠ ܥܡܗ ܡܝܠܐ ܚܕ ܙܠ ܥܡܗ ܬܪܝܢ
w-men d-mešḥed lakh d-teʾzel ʿameh mīlā ḥad, zel ʿameh trēn.
42 ܠܗ ܕܫܐܠ ܡܢܟ ܗܒ ܘܠܡܢ ܕܨܒܐ ܕܢܙܦ ܡܢܟ ܠܐ ܬܟܠ
leh d-šāʾel menakh hab; w-lemen d-ṣābā d-nezap menakh lā tekhil.
43 ܫܡܥܬܘܢ ܕܐܬܐܡܪ ܪܚܡ ܠܩܪܝܒܟ ܘܣܢܐ ܠܒܥܠܕܒܒܟ
šmaʿtūn d-ethʾemar raḥem l-qarībhakh w-sané l-baʿal-debābhakh.
44 ܐܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܚܒܘ ܠܒܥܠܕܒܒܝܟܘܢ ܘܒܪܟܘ ܠܡܠܘܛܝܟܘܢ ܘܥܒܕܘ ܛܒܬܐ ܠܣܢܝܟܘܢ ܘܨܠܘ ܥܠ ܡܢ ܕܡܕܟܝܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܘܪܕܦܝܢ ܠܟܘܢ
ʾānā dīn ʾamar ʾānā lkhūn: ḥabbū l-baʿal-debābkhūn, w-barḵū l-malawṭīkhūn, w-ʿabedū ṭabthā l-sanīkhūn, w-ṣallū ʿal men d-madkhīn lkhūn w-radpīn lkhūn.
45 ܕܬܗܘܘܢ ܒܢܝܐ ܕܐܒܘܟܘܢ ܕܒܫܡܝܐ ܕܡܕܢܚ ܫܡܫܗ ܥܠ ܛܒܐ ܘܥܠ ܒܝܫܐ ܘܡܚܬ ܡܛܪܗ ܥܠ ܟܐܢܐ ܘܥܠ ܥܘܠܐ
d-tehwūn bneyā d-ʾabūkhūn d-b-šmayyā, d-madnaḥ šemšeh ʿal ṭābē w-ʿal bīšē, w-maḥeṯ maṭreh ʿal kānē w-ʿal ʿūlē.
46 ܐܢ ܓܝܪ ܡܚܒܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܚܒܝܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܡܢܐ ܐܓܪܟܘܢ ܠܐ ܗܐ ܡܟܣܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܥܒܕܝܢ
ʾan gīr meḥabbīn ʾantūn l-ʾaylīn d-meḥabbīn lkhūn, manā ʾagrkūn? lā hā maksā haknā ʿabedīn?
47 ܘܐܢ ܫܠܡܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܒܫܠܡܐ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܠܐܚܝܟܘܢ ܡܢܐ ܝܬܝܪ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܠܐ ܗܐ ܡܘܟܣܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܥܒܕܝܢ
w-ʾan šlāmīn ʾantūn b-šlamā b-laḥūd l-ʾaḥēkhūn, manā yetīr ʿabedīn ʾantūn? lā hā mokhsā haknā ʿabedīn?
48 ܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܗܟܝܠ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܓܡܝܪܐ ܐܝܟ ܕܐܒܘܟܘܢ ܕܒܫܡܝܐ ܓܡܝܪ ܗܘ
hawītūn hakīl ʾantūn gamīrē ʾeik d-ʾabūkhūn d-b-šmayyā gamīr hū.
Pesher Commentary on Levi bar-Chalfai’s Account
The Commonwealth Charter
The ascent to the Mount marks a transition of power, not the seizure of it. In Yohanan’s wilderness gatherings, the people had already been re-disciplined into covenantal awareness; their bodies, once instruments of tribute and taxation, had been re-baptized as vessels of obedience to the Guardian. That was potential energy. When Yehoshua ascends the hill, he turns it kinetic. He speaks the first clauses of the new constitution, transforming repentance into governance, purification into policy.
1-2: The mountain is not random geography; it is the people’s Sinai renewed. “He sat, and his disciples came to him.” In rabbinic idiom, sitting signifies judicial authority. The multitude stands as witnesses. Here begins a re-legislation of life in exile — an oral court convened under open sky, outside Temple and Senate alike.
3: “Favored are the poor in spirit.” Meskenē b-rūḥā identifies those whose dispossession is total: people from whom the world-system has extracted everything but breath. In them the Presence finds dwelling (šekīnā). The first article of the Covenant Commonwealth thus enshrines the right of the utterly disinherited. Citizenship begins at zero balance. Empire’s wasteland becomes the Guardian’s real estate.
4: The right to mourn follows. Empire pathologizes grief; the Commonwealth consecrates it. To weep is to refuse normalization of loss. The comfort promised is not sedation but reconstruction — the social repair that grief demands.
5: The meek are not the docile; they are the ones who have laid down coercion without surrendering resolve. They inherit the land because they no longer weaponize it. In covenantal law, inheritance (naḥlā) is stewardship, not possession. Yehoshua rewrites dominion as guardianship.
6: Here righteousness (kenūthā) ceases to be cultic virtue and becomes appetite — the bodily craving for equity. These are the ones who fast not for ritual merit but because the world has starved them of fairness. Their filling is the restoration of right order, the banquet of Jubilee.
7: Mercy (raḥmā) is presented as the operative economy of the Commonwealth: forgiveness as circulation of grace. To show mercy is to re-enter divine credit, where debts are canceled and relationships repaired. The merciful are the new bankers of the Kingdom.
8: Purity of heart (dakkē b-libhōn) names transparency between motive and act. It is administrative clarity; those who hold nothing hidden become capable of perceiving the Guardian Presence. Vision follows integrity.
9: “Peace-workers” (ʿabday šlamā) are not diplomats of empire but builders of equilibrium. They mend fractures without enforcing uniformity. In covenantal structure, they function as the citizen-priests of reconciliation, the children who resemble their Parent because they heal as the Parent heals.
10-12: Persecution is recognized as inevitable for those whose justice unmasks false religion. The Commonwealth does not shield its citizens from suffering; it honors them as heirs of the prophetic lineage. The reward in the heavens is not deferred compensation but the living vindication of their cause: heaven’s policy enacted on earth.
Thus the first twelve verses constitute the Preamble of the Covenant Constitution. Yehoshua legislates by inversion:
The destitute become governors.
The mourners become rebuilders.
The meek become land administrators.
The hungry become the judiciary of equity.
The merciful become the banking system of grace.
The pure-hearted become the auditors of truth.
The peacemakers become the civil engineers of reconciliation.
The persecuted become the accredited prophets of legitimacy.
Through these statutes the governmentality of the people is re-tuned from imperial obedience to covenantal conscience. What Yohanan began as ritual realignment, Yehoshua now codifies as living law. The Mount is no sermon: it is the ratification of the Malkwuth d-Šmayyā — the Commonwealth of the Heavens, present tense.
The Statutes of Reparation
21-26: The first statute moves from the act of murder to the atmosphere that produces it. Yehoshua interprets “You shall not kill” as a civic warning: violence begins in contempt. To call a brother rāqā or šaṭṭā is to erase their social worth, to reduce a covenantal partner to refuse. In a society defined by rank and purity codes, contempt is lethal governance. Hence the remedy: reconciliation precedes sacrifice. Worship without repair is void. The altar cannot redeem debts unpaid between neighbors. In this, Yehoshua dismantles the priestly monopoly over atonement and returns moral jurisdiction to daily life. The Commonwealth’s court convenes wherever two estranged people meet in honesty.
27-30: The next reparation concerns fidelity. “You shall not commit adultery” is expanded into the ethics of vision. Desire becomes violence when it turns a person into an object of consumption. The eye and the hand—organs of grasping—must be disciplined, not mutilated. The hyperbole (“cut it off … cast it out”) dramatizes surgical repentance: better to lose appetite than selfhood. Yehoshua re-locates purity from ritual baths to interior coherence; integrity, not virginity, is the virtue of the Covenant.
31-32: By restricting dismissal “except for unfaithfulness,” Yehoshua protects women from being discarded like property. Under Roman-Herodian law, men issued writs of release with ease, creating a surplus of exiled wives—economic casualties of convenience. The statute reframes marriage as covenant partnership rather than contract of ownership. Breaking it unjustly writes social violence into another’s life. The Commonwealth thus legislates for equity within the household as microcosm of justice in the state.
33-37: Every empire runs on oath and spectacle; every bureaucracy requires endless swearing to secure obedience. Yehoshua abolishes the performative oath. “Let your yes be yes.” In the Covenant, truth needs no theater. Speech is to be as reliable as creation itself. Heaven, earth, Jerusalem, even one’s own head are not to be used as collateral for deceit. This is speech-ethics as political reform: communication without coercion, honesty without hierarchy. Within the Commonwealth, transparency is the new sacral language.
38-42: “Eye for eye” once restrained vengeance; Yehoshua now converts it into generative protest. To turn the other cheek is not submission but exposure of the oppressor’s code—the slap offered to insult social rank loses power when met with calm defiance. To give both cloak and tunic shames the creditor’s greed; to walk two miles under compulsion ridicules the soldier’s authority. Each act weaponizes mercy: it forces the adversary to see the absurdity of domination. These are not passive ethics but guerrilla strategies of grace—reparation enacted through public courage.
43–48: The final statute completes the constitutional circle. “Love your enemies” is not sentimental; it is the social technology by which cycles of vengeance are broken.
To bless the one who curses is to seize moral initiative; to pray for the persecutor is to reclaim authorship of the narrative. Here Yehoshua invokes the agricultural theology of creation: the sun and rain are impartial benefactors. To mirror this impartiality is to embody divine wholeness. The closing mandate—hawītūn gamīrē—does not mean moral perfection but completeness: integrity between inner motive and outer act, between neighbor and enemy, between human justice and divine equity.
The Commonwealth reaches completion when its citizens act as microcosms of that equilibrium.
Synthesis of the Statutes
These six re-legislations form the inner framework of the Covenant Constitution:
StatuteFrom Prohibition → To RestorationCovenant PrincipleAngerFrom murder → reconciliationLife is preserved through repair.DesireFrom adultery → integrityPersons are never property.DivorceFrom dismissal → accountabilityCovenant binds partners in equity.OathsFrom performance → truthfulnessWords carry inherent sanctity.RetaliationFrom revenge → creative mercyPower is undone by compassion.EnmityFrom partial love → wholenessThe Guardian’s nature realized in humankind.
Each statute dismantles the punitive logic of empire and replaces it with the reparative logic of covenant. Law becomes the architecture of mercy; justice, the choreography of restoration. What began with Yohanan as purification of conscience has become, through Yehoshua, the living constitution of a free people.
Orthodox Jewish Bible | Mattit’yahu, chapter 5
5 When Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach saw the multitudes, he ALAH HAHAR (went up the mountain, SHEMOT 19:3) and when he sat down, his talmidim came to him.
2 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach began to speak, and gave them this torah (teaching), saying,
3 Ashrey ANIYEI HARUACH (Blessed, Happy are the poor in spirit, YESHAYAH 66:2) for theirs is the Malchut HaShomayim.
4 Ashrey are the AVELIM (the ones mourning, YESHAYAH 61:2), for they will be comforted.
5 Ashrey are the ANAVIM (humble, YESHAYAH 29:19; ZEFANYAH 2:3), for YIRESHU ARETZ (they will inherit the land, TEHILLIM 37:11).
6 Ashrey are the ones hungering and thirsting for Tzidkat Hashem (Tzedek Olamim, Everlasting Righteousness, DANIEL 9:24), for they will be satisfied.
7 Ashrey are the merciful, for they will be shown rachamim (mercy).
8 Ashrey are those of LEV TAHOR (pure heart, TEHILLIM 51:12 [10]), for they will see Hashem.
9 Ashrey are the peacemakers, for they will be called bnei haElohim (sons of G-d).
10 Ashrey are the ones being persecuted because of Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness, DANIEL 9:24), for theirs is the Malchut HaShomayim.
11 Ashrey are you when they reproach you and persecute you and speak all kinds of lashon horah against you, speaking sheker (falsehood, lies) because of me [Moshiach].
12 Have simcha (joy) and lev sameach (glad heart), for your sachar (reward) is great in Shomayim, for thus they persecuted the Neviim before you.
13 You are the melach haaretz (salt of the earth), but if the salt becomes tasteless, in what way will it become salty again? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled by men.
14 You are the Ohr HaOlam (the Light of the World). A city lying on a mountaintop cannot be nistar (hidden).
15 No one, after lighting a menorah, places it under a measuring basket, but on the shulchan (table), and it gives ohr (light) to kol anshei habais (all in the house).
16 In like manner, let your light so shine before Bnei Adam, that they may see your maasim tovim (good works) and give kavod (glory) to your Av shbaShomayim (Father in Heaven).
17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Neviim. I did not come to abolish but to complete.
18 For, omein, truly I say to you, until Shomayim and haaretz pass away, not one yod, not one tag (ornamental flourish), will pass from the Torah until everything is accomplished.
19 Therefore, whoever annuls one of the least of these mitzvot (divine commandments given by Hashem to Moshe Rebbenu) and so teaches Bnei Adam, shall be called katon (least) in the Malchut HaShomayim; but whoever practices and teaches them, this one will be called gadol (great) in the Malchut HaShomayim.
20 For I say unto you that unless the Tzedek (Righteousness) of you exceeds that of the Sofrim and Perushim, you will certainly not enter the Malchut HaShomayim.
21 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, LO TIRTZACH (Do not murder, SHEMOT 20:13; DEVARIM 5:17), and every rotzeach (murderer) shall be liable before the Bet Din (Court).
22 But I say to you, that everyone who harbors kaas (anger) against his Ach [b’Moshiach], his chaver, shall be subject to mishpat (judgment); and whoever shall say to his Ach [b’Moshiach], Reyka! (Good for nothing!) will be subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever shall say Shoteh! (Fool) shall be subject to Eish Gehinnom (Fire of Hell).
23 Therefore, if you bring your korban (sacrifice) to the Mizbeach (altar), and there you remember that your Ach [b’Moshiach] has something against you,
24 leave your korban there before the Mizbeach, and go and first be reconciled to your Ach [b’Moshiach]; and then come offer your korban.
25 Come to terms quickly with your ish riv (opponent in a lawsuit), while you are a fellow-traveler on the derech eretz, lest the ish riv might deliver you to the shofet (judge), and the shofet might deliver you to the shoter (law official), and the shoter might deliver you to the beit hasohar (prison house).
26 For, omein, truly I say to you, you may never come out from there until you repay the last peruta (small coin).
27 You have heard that it was said, LO TINAF (Do not commit adultery, SHEMOT 20:14).
28 But I say to you that everyone looking upon a woman with taavah (lust) for her has already committed niuf (adultery) with her in his heart.
29 And if your right eye causes you to commit chet (sin), tear it out and throw it from you, for it is better for you that one of your evarim (members) be lost and not your whole basar (body, flesh) be thrown into Gehinnom.
30 And if your right hand causes you to commit chet, cut it off and throw it from you, for it is better for you that one of your evarim (members) be lost and not that your whole basar may go into Gehinnom.
31 It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give to her a “get,” a SEFER KERITUT (bill of divorce, DEVARIM 24:1).
32 But I say to you that everyone divorcing his wife, except for the DVAR (indecent thing, DEVARIM 24:1) of zenut (fornication), makes her become a noefet (adulteress), and whoever marries a gerusha (divorcee) commits niuf (adultery).
33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, You shall not break your nederim (vows), but you shall repay your vows to Hashem.[T.N.See VAYIKRA 19:12; BAMIDBAR 30:3; DEVARIM 23:22]
34 But I say to you, Do not swear shevuot (oaths) at all, neither by Shomayim, for it is the kes malchut of Hashem (throne of G-d),
35 nor by haaretz, for it is the hadom (footstool) of his feet, nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the kiryat melech rav (city of the great king, TEHILLIM 48:3[2]).
36 Neither are you to swear by your rosh, for you are not able to make one hair turn white or black.
37 But let your word be ken, ken (yes, yes) or lo, lo (no, no), but anything beyond this is lashon horah.
38 You have heard that it was said, AYIN TACHAT AYIN, SHEN TACHAT SHEN (An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth SHEMOT 21:24).
39 But I say to you, Do not set yourself against the rasha (evil person), but whoever hits you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other cheek.
40 And the one wishing to sue you and take your tunic, give to him also your kaftan.
41 And whoever will force you to go one mile, go with him two.
42 And the one asking you to give and the one wishing to borrow from you, from these do not turn away.
43 You have heard that it was said, VAHAVTAH LREIACHAH (You shall love your neighbor, VAYIKRA 19:18) and you shall hate your oyev (enemy).
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, and offer tefillos (prayers) for the ones bringing redifah (persecution) upon you.
45 Do this so that you may become banim of your Av shbaShomayim, for His shemesh (sun) He makes to rise on the ra’im (evil ones) and the tovim (good ones), and He sends His geshem (rain) upon the tzaddikim (righteous ones) and the resha’im (unrighteous ones).
46 For if you have ahavah (love) for the ones who have ahavah for you, what sachar (reward) do you have? Even the mochesim (tax collectors) do that, don’t they?
47 And if you give Drishat Shalom (greetings) only to your Achim [b’Moshiach], what extraordinary thing are you doing? Don’t even the Goyim do the same?
48 Therefore, be shlemim (complete), even as is your Av shbaShomayim.
Christian Standard Bible | Matthew, chapter 5
The Sermon on the Mount
5 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then[a] he began to teach them, saying:
The Beatitudes
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the humble,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?[b] It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter[c] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder,[d] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister[e] will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults[f] his brother or sister will be subject to the court.[g] Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.[h] 23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to[i] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.[j]
Adultery Begins in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.[k] 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce Practices Censured
31 “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.[l] 32 But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Tell the Truth
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.[m] 34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.[n] 39 But I tell you, don’t resist[o] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor[p] and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies[q] and pray for those who[r] persecute you, 45 so that you may be[s] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?[t] Don’t even the Gentiles[u] do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
5:2 Lit Then opening his mouth
5:13 Or how can the earth be salted?
5:18 Or not one iota; iota is the smallest letter of the Gk alphabet.
5:21 Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17
5:22 Other mss add without a cause
5:22 Lit Whoever says ‘Raca’; an Aramaic term of abuse that puts someone down, insulting one’s intelligence
5:22 Lit Sanhedrin
5:22 Lit the gehenna of fire
5:25 Other mss read judge will hand you over to
5:26 Lit quadrans, the smallest and least valuable Roman coin, worth 1/64 of a daily wage
5:27 Ex 20:14; Dt 5:18
5:31 Dt 24:1
5:33 Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21
5:38 Ex 21:24; Lv 24:20; Dt 19:21
5:39 Or don’t set yourself against, or don’t retaliate against
5:43 Lv 19:18
5:44 Other mss add bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
5:44 Other mss add mistreat you and
5:45 Or may become, or may show yourselves to be
5:47 Or doing that is superior; lit doing more
5:47 Other mss read tax collectors
Complete Jewish Bible | Matthew, chapter 5
5 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
3 “How blessed are the poor in spirit!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 “How blessed are those who mourn!
for they will be comforted.
5 “How blessed are the meek!
for they will inherit the Land![a]
6 “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!
for they will be filled.
7 “How blessed are those who show mercy!
for they will be shown mercy.
8 “How blessed are the pure in heart!
for they will see God.
9 “How blessed are those who make peace!
for they will be called sons of God.
10 “How blessed are those who are persecuted
because they pursue righteousness!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
13 “You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on.
14 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
21 “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not murder,’[b] and that anyone who commits murder will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgment; that whoever calls his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, ‘Fool!’ incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom! 23 So if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift. 25 If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail! 26 Yes indeed! I tell you, you will certainly not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not commit adultery.’[c] 28 But I tell you that a man who even looks at a woman with the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you sin, gouge it out and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom. 30 And if your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away! Better that you should lose one part of you than have your whole body thrown into Gei-Hinnom.
31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a get.’[d] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and that anyone who marries a divorcee commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai.’[e] 34 But I tell you not to swear at all — not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; 35 not ‘by the earth,’ because it is his footstool;[f] and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King.[g] 36 And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. 37 Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil.
38 “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! 40 If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! 41 And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! 42 When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.
43 “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor[i] — and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. 46 What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! 47 And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! 48 Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Footnotes
Matthew 5:5 Psalm 37:11
Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17
Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:13(14); Deuteronomy 5:17(18)
Matthew 5:31 Deuteronomy 24:1
Matthew 5:33 Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:3(2); Deuteronomy 23:22(21)
Matthew 5:35 Isaiah 66:1
Matthew 5:35 Psalm 48:3(2)
Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21
Matthew 5:43 Leviticus 19:18
The Message | Matthew, chapter 5
You’re Blessed
1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
Salt and Light
13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Completing God’s Law
17-18 “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.
19-20 “Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.
Murder
21-22 “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
23-24 “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.
25-26 “Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.
Adultery and Divorce
27-28 “You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those ogling looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.
29-30 “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.
31-32 “Remember the Scripture that says, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights’? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are ‘legal.’ Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you’re responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you’re automatically an adulterer yourself. You can’t use legal cover to mask a moral failure.
Empty Promises
33-37 “And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Love Your Enemies
38-42 “Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”