Matthew Translation
Matthew
The Lineage of Jesus
The written record of the lineage of Jesus, the Messiah, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham fathered Isaac. Isaac fathered Jacob. Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah through Tamar. Perez fathered Hezron. Hezron fathered Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab. Amminadab fathered Nashon. Nashon fathered Salma. Salma fathered Boaz through Rahab. Boaz fathered Obed through Ruth. Obed fathered Jesse. And Jesse fathered King David.
David fathered Solomon through Uriah’s wife. Solomon fathered Rehoboam. Rehoboam fathered Abijah. Abijah fathered Asa. Asa fathered Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat fathered Jehoram. Jehoram fathered Uzziah Uzziah fathered Jotham. Jotham fathered Ahaz. Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. Hezekiah fathered Manasseh. Manasseh fathered Amon. Amon fathered Josiah. And Josiah fathered Jehoiachin and his relatives before the deportation to Babylon.
After the deportation to Babylon, Jehoiachin fathered Shealtiel. Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel fathered Abiud. Abiud fathered Eliakim. Eliakim fathered Azor. Azor fathered Zadok. Zadok fathered Achim. Achim fathered Eliud. Eliud fathered Eleazar. Eleazar fathered Matthan. Matthan fathered Jacob. And Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, called the Messiah.
So from Abraham to David, there were fourteen generations. From David to the deportation to Babylon, there were fourteen generations. And from the deportation to the Messiah, there were fourteen generations.
This is how the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, took place: His mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they lived together, it was discovered she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man, yet he had no desire to publicly disgrace her. So he planned to divorce her privately.
As he thought about this, one of the Lord’s angels appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take home Mary, your wife. The child she bears was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. She’ll give birth to a son. You must name him Jesus because he’ll save his people from their sins.” All this happened to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. They’ll name him Immanuel.” That means “God is with us.”
Then Joseph woke up and did what the Lord’s angel commanded him. He took home Mary, his wife. But he didn’t make love to her until she’d given birth to a son. Then he named him Jesus.
Jesus in Egypt
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod. Then diviners from the east arrived in Jerusalem. “Where’s the one born King of the Jews? We saw his star rise, so we’ve come to worship him.”
Hearing this alarmed King Herod, and all of Jerusalem with him. So he summoned all the chief priests and teachers of the law to question them about where the Messiah would be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they answered. “This is what’s written through the prophet:
“‘You, Bethlehem of the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.
From you will come a ruler
who’ll shepherd my people, Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly summoned the diviners to determine from them the precise time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. “Go search thoroughly for the child. When you find him, let me know so I can go worship him too.”
After hearing what the king said, they left. The star they’d seen rise led them until it settled over the place where the child was. Seeing the star filled them with overwhelming joy! When they entered the house, they found the child with Mary, his mother. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their bags of valuables and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
In a dream, they’d been instructed not to return to Herod, so they returned to their own land by a different road.
After they left, one of the Lord’s angels appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Wake up. Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother and stay there until I tell you. Herod will soon search for the child to kill him.”
So Joseph woke up and left for Egypt during the night with the child and his mother. He stayed there until Herod died to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet: “Out from Egypt I called my son.”
Then Herod realized the diviners had fooled him. Furious, he had all the boys two years old and under killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. This agreed with the timing he’d learned from the diviners. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice in Ramah was heard.
Mourning and bitter weeping!
Rachel weeping over her children.
She refused to be comforted
because they are no more.”
After Herod died, one of the Lord’s angels appeared to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt. “Wake up. Go to the land of Israel with the child and his mother. Those who wanted to kill the child have died.”
So Joseph woke up and returned to the land of Israel with the child and his mother. But he heard Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, in reigning over Judea. So he was afraid to go there. Having been instructed in a dream, he departed to the region of Galilee instead. He went to live in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was said through the prophets, that he’d be called a Nazarene.
John the Baptist
In those days, John the Baptist arrived in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” He’s the one spoken about through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice calling out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Straighten his highways!’”
John wore clothes made from camel hair with a leather waistband tied around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region of the Jordan went out to him, confessing their sins, and he immersed them in the Jordan River.
Now he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he immersed. “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath about to come? Produce fruit worthy of repentance. Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have our father Abraham.’ I tell you God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones.
“Already the axe lies against the root of the trees. So any tree that doesn’t produce quality fruit will be chopped down and thrown into fire. I immerse you in water into repentance. But the one coming behind me is mightier than I am, and I don’t deserve to even carry his sandals. He’ll immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire. He’s holding the winnowing fork to clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat in the barn. But he’ll burn the chaff in fire that can’t be extinguished.”
Then Jesus arrived at the Jordan from Galilee to be immersed by John. But John tried to prevent him. “I’m the one who needs to be immersed by you! Yet you come to me?”
“Accept it for now,” Jesus answered, “because it’s appropriate for us in order to fulfill all righteousness.”
Then John agreed, and Jesus was immersed. Immediately, he came up from the water, the sky was opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down like a dove and settling on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son. I’m very pleased with him!”
Jesus Tested
Then the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights. Afterward, he was hungry.
Then the tempter came to him. “If you’re the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into bread.”
But Jesus replied, “It’s written: ‘Humanity lives not on bread alone but on every word proceeding from God’s mouth.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the far wall of the temple complex. “If you’re the Son of God, jump down because it’s written:
‘He’ll command his angels for you.
They’ll lift you up with their hands
so you won’t strike your foot on a stone.’”
But Jesus replied, “It’s also written: ‘Don’t test the Lord, your God.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the world’s kingdoms and their glory. “I’ll give all these to you if you’ll bow down and worship me.”
But Jesus replied, “Go away, Satan! It’s written: ‘Worship the Lord, your God, and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came to care for him.
A Light in Galilee
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from Nazareth to settle in Capernaum by the lake, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali! The Way of the Sea, the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations!
“The people who live in the darkness
have seen a great light.
Those who live in the land of deep shadows,
a light has dawned on them.”
From then on, Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”
While walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake because they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow me! I’ll teach you to fish for people.” At once, they left their nets behind and followed him.
Continuing on from there, he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once, they left the boat and their father behind and followed him.
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and illness among the people. News about him spread throughout Syria, and they brought to him everyone who was sick—those who suffered from various diseases, debilitating pain, demon possession, epilepsy, and paralysis. He healed them.
The Sermon on the Mount
Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the other side of the Jordan. Seeing the crowds, he went up the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, so he began to teach them.
“How happy are the spiritually poor! The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
“How happy are those who mourn! They will be comforted.
“How happy are the humble! They will inherit the earth.
“How happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! They will be satisfied.
“How happy are the merciful! They will receive mercy.
“How happy are those with clean hearts! They will see God.
“How happy are those who make peace! They will be called God’s children.
“How happy are those persecuted because of righteousness. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
“How happy are you whenever others denounce you, persecute you, and speak every evil thing against you because of me! Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven. In the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you.
“You’re the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It no longer has any use except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You’re the light of the world. A city built on a hill can’t be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and place it under a bowl. It’s placed on the lampstand to give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before others so they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Kingdom Ethics
“Don’t think I’ve come to invalidate the Law or the Prophets. I’ve come not to invalidate but to fulfill! I speak the truth. Until the earth and the sky pass away, not the tiniest letter, not even a pen stroke, will pass away from the Law until it all happens. So anyone who relaxes one of the least of these commands and teaches this will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But anyone who obeys and teaches this will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“You’ve heard it was said to the people of old, ‘Don’t murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders deserves judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a fellow believer deserves judgment. Anyone who calls a fellow believer an idiot deserves to be taken to court, and anyone who says ‘Fool!’ deserves the fire in the Hinnom Valley.
“So if you bring your gift to the altar but while there you remember that a fellow believer has something against you, leave your gift in front of the altar. Go make peace first, and then return to offer your gift.
“Quickly reconcile with your accuser while you’re together on the road. Otherwise, your accuser will hand you over to the judge, the judge will hand you over to the warden, and you’ll be thrown in jail. I tell you the truth. You certainly won’t get out of there until you’ve paid every last cent.
“You’ve heard it was said, ‘Don’t commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it away! It’s better for you to destroy one body part than for your whole body to be thrown into the Hinnom Valley. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away! It’s better for you to destroy one body part than for your whole body to enter the Hinnom Valley.
“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her divorce papers.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“You’ve also heard it was said to the people of old, ‘Don’t swear falsely, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear at all, not by the sky because it’s God’s throne, not by the earth because it’s his footstool, not toward Jerusalem because it’s the city of the great King, and not by your own head because you can’t make even one hair black or white. But just say yes for yes and no for no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.
“You’ve heard it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to oppose an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn your other cheek too. If someone sues you to take your tunic, give your cloak too. If anyone forces you to carry a load one mile, go two miles.
“Give to anyone who asks you, and don’t turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you.
“You’ve heard it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you to become children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on both the evil and the good. He sends rain over both the righteous and the unrighteous.
What reward do you expect for loving those who love you? Don’t even the tax collectors do that? Or what notable thing do you do if you greet only your fellow believers? Don’t even the unbelieving nations do that?
Therefore, you must be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect.