Section IX.

Section IX.

[1] ⁶⁸⁶Ye have heard also that it was said unto the ancients, Lie not, but perform unto [2] God in thy oaths:  ⁶⁸⁷but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it [3] is God’s throne; ⁶⁸⁸nor by the earth, for it is a footstool under his feet; nor yet by [4] Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great⁶⁸⁹ King.  ⁶⁹⁰Neither shalt thou swear by thy [5] head, for thou canst not make in it one lock of hair black or white.  ⁶⁹¹But your word shall be either Yea or Nay, and what is in excess of this is of the evil one.

[6, 7] ⁶⁹²Ye have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth:  ⁶⁹³but I say unto you, Stand not in opposition to the evil;⁶⁹⁴ but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right [8] cheek,⁶⁹⁵ turn to him also the other.  ⁶⁹⁶And he that would sue thee, and take thy tunic, [9] leave to him also thy wrapper.  ⁶⁹⁷And whosoever compelleth thee one mile, go with [10] [Arabic, p. 35] him twain.  ⁶⁹⁸And he that asketh thee, give unto him:  ⁶⁹⁹and he that would borrow of thee, prevent him not.  And prosecute⁷⁰⁰ not him that taketh thy [11] substance.  ⁷⁰¹And as ye desire that men should do to you, so do ye also to them.

[12, 13] ⁷⁰²Ye have heard that it was said, Love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy:  ⁷⁰³but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for those that curse you, and deal well with those that hate you, and pray for those who take you with violence and persecute you; [14] ⁷⁰⁴that ye may be sons of your heavenly Father, who maketh his sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sendeth down his rain on the righteous and the [15] unrighteous.  ⁷⁰⁵If ye love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? ⁷⁰⁶for the publicans [16] and sinners also love those that love them.  ⁷⁰⁷And if ye do a kindness to those [17] who treat you well, where is your superiority? for sinners also do likewise.  ⁷⁰⁸And if ye lend to him of whom ye hope for a reward,⁷⁰⁹ where is your superiority? for the [18] sinners also lend to sinners, seeking recompense from⁷¹⁰ them.  ⁷¹¹But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, and cut not off the hope of any man; that your reward may be great, and ye may be the children of the Highest:  for he is lenient [19] towards the wicked and the ungrateful.  ⁷¹²Be ye merciful, even as your Father also is [20] merciful.  ⁷¹³And if ye inquire for the good of your brethren only, what more have [21] ye done than others? is not this the conduct of the publicans also?  ⁷¹⁴Be ye now⁷¹⁵ perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

[22] ⁷¹⁶Consider your alms; do them not before men to let them see you:  and if it be not [23] so,⁷¹⁷ ye have no reward before your Father which is in the heavens.  ⁷¹⁸When then thou givest an alms now, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as do the people of hypocrisy, [Arabic, p. 36] in the synagogues and the marketplaces, that men may praise them.  And [24] verily say I unto you, They have received their reward.  ⁷¹⁹But thou, when [25] thou doest alms, let thy left hand not know what thy right hand doeth; ⁷²⁰that thine alms may be concealed:  and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

[26] ⁷²¹And whenever thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites, who love to stand in the synagogues and in the corners of the marketplaces for prayers, that men may behold [27] them.  ⁷²²And verily say I unto you, They have received their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and fasten thy door, and pray to thy Father in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  [28] ⁷²³And whenever ye pray, be not babblers, as the heathen; for they think that by the [29] abundance of their words they shall be heard.  ⁷²⁴Then be not ye now like unto them:  [30] for your Father knoweth your request before ye ask him.  ⁷²⁵One of his disciples said [31] unto him, Our Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.  ⁷²⁶Jesus said unto [32] them, Thus now pray ye now:^{727  728}Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy [33, 34] name.  ⁷²⁹Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done,⁷³⁰ as in heaven, so on earth. ⁷³¹Give us the [35] food of to-day.  ⁷³²And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgave those that trespassed [36] against us.  ⁷³³And bring us not into temptations, but deliver us from the evil one. For [37] thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.^{734  735}If ye forgive [Arabic, p. 37] men their wrong-doing,⁷³⁶ your Father which is in heaven will forgive you.  [38] ⁷³⁷But if ye forgive not men, neither will your Father pardon your wrong-doing.

[39] ⁷³⁸When ye fast, do not frown, as the hypocrites; for they make their faces austere, that they may be seen of⁷³⁹ men that they are fasting.  Verily I say unto you, They [40] have received their reward.  ⁷⁴⁰But when thou fastest, wash thy face and anoint thy [41] head; ⁷⁴¹that thou make not an appearance to men of fasting, but to thy Father which is in secret:  and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee.

[42] ⁷⁴²Be not agitated, little flock; for your Father hath delighted to give you the kingdom.  [43] ⁷⁴³Sell your possessions, and give in alms; take to yourselves purses that wax [44] not old.  ⁷⁴⁴Lay not up treasure on earth, where moth and worm corrupt, and where [45] thieves break through and steal:  ⁷⁴⁵but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where [46] moth and worm do not corrupt, nor thieves break through nor steal:  ⁷⁴⁶for where your [47] treasure is, there also will your heart be.  ⁷⁴⁷The lamp of the body is the eye:  if then⁷⁴⁸ [48] thine eye now be sound, thy whole body also shall be light.  ⁷⁴⁹But if thine eye be evil, all thy body shall be dark.  And if the light which is in thee is darkness, how [49] great is⁷⁵⁰ thy darkness!  ⁷⁵¹Be watchful that the light which is in thee be not darkness.  [50] ⁷⁵²Because that, if thy whole body is light, and have no part dark, it shall all be light, as the lamp giveth light to thee with its flame.