Matthew 5
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

The Sermon on the Mount

1When he sawe the people, he went vp into a mountayne: and when he was set, his disciples came to hym, 2and he opened his mouth, and taught them, sayinge:

The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1–6; Luke 6:20–23)

3Blessed are the poore in sprete: for theirs is the kyngdome of heue.

4Blessed are they that mourne: for they shalbe coforted.

5Blessed are the meke: for they shall inheret the erth.

6Blessed are they which honger & thyrst for rightewesnes: for they shalbe filled.

7Blessed are the mercifull: for they shall obteyne mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in herte: for they shall se God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shalbe called the chyldren of God.

10Blessed are they which suffre persecucion for rightwesnes sake: for theirs is the kyngdome of heuen.

11Blessed are ye when men reuyle you, and persecute you, and falsly say all manner of yuell saynges against you for my sake. 12Reioyce and be glad, for greate is youre rewarde in heue.For so persecuted they the Prophetes which were before youre dayes.

Salt and Light
(Mark 9:49–50; Luke 14:34–35; Philippians 2:12–18)

13Ye are ye salt of the earth, but and yf the salt haue lost his saltnes, what can be salted therwith? It is thence forth good for nothynge, but to be cast out, and to be trodden vnder fote of men.

14Ye are the light of the worlde. A cite that is set on an hill, can not be hid: 15nether do men lyght a candell, and put it vnder a busshell, but on a candelstick, and it lighteth all that are in the house. 16Let youre light so shyne before men, that they maye se youre good workes, and glorify youre father which is in heauen.

The Fulfillment of the Law

17Thinke not, that I am come to destroye the lawe, or the Prophetes: no, I am not come to destroye them, but to fulfyll them. 18For truly I saye vnto you: till heauen and earth perisshe, one iott or one tyttle of the lawe shall not escape, tyll all be fulfilled. 19Whosoeuer breaketh one of these least comaundmentes, and teacheth me so, he shalbe called the leest in the kyngdome of heauen, But whosoeuer obserueth and teacheth the same shalbe called greate in the kyngdome of heauen.

20For I saye vnto you: excepte youre rightewesnes exceade the righetewesnes of the Scribes and Pharises, ye can not entre in to the kyngdome of heauen.

Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57–59)

21Ye haue herde, how it was sayde to the of the olde tyme: Thou shalt not kyll. For whosoeuer kylleth, shall be in daunger of iudgement. 22But I saye vnto you: whosoeuer is angrie with his brother, is in daunger of the iudgement. Whosoeuer sayeth vnto his brother: Racha, is in daunger of ye cousell. But whosoeuer sayeth: thou foole, is in daunger of hell fyre. 23Therfore when thou offrest thy gift at the altare, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought agaynst the: 24leaue there thyne offrynge before the altare, and go thy waye first, and reconcyle thy selfe to thy brother, & then come and offre thy gyfte. 25Agre with thine aduersary quicklye, whyle thou art in the waye with hym, lest that aduersary deliuer the to the iudge, and the iudge deliuer the to the minister, and then thou be cast in to preson. 26I saye vnto the verely: thou shalt not come out thece, till thou haue payed the vtmost farthinge.

Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1–30)

27Ye haue herde, how it was sayde to them of olde tyme: Thou shalt not committe aduoutrie. 28But I saye vnto you, that whosoeuer loketh on a wife lustinge after her, hath committed aduoutrie with hir already in his hert. 29Wherfore yf thy right eye offende the, plucke hym out, and cast him from the. Better it is for the, that one of thy membres perisshe, then that thy whole body shulde be cast in to hell. 30Also yf thy right honde offende the, cut hym of, and cast him from the. Better yt is that one of thy mebres perissh, the yt all yi body shulde be cast in to hell.

Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1–5; Luke 16:18)

31It is sayde: whosoeuer putteth awaye his wyfe, let hym geue her a testimony all of the deuorcemet. 32But I saye vnto you: whosoeuer putteth awaye his wyfe (except it be for fornicacio causeth her to breake matrymony. And whosoeuer maryeth her that is deuorsed, breaketh wedlocke.

Oaths and Vows
(Numbers 30:1–16)

33Agayne, ye haue herde, how it was sayde to the of olde tyme: Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe thyne ooth to God. 34But I saye vnto you: sweare not at all, nether by heaue, for it is Godis seate: 35nor yet by the earth, for it is his fote stole: nether by Ierusalem, for it is the cyte of ye greate kinge: 36nether shalt thou sweare by thy heed, because thou canst not make one heer whyte or blacke: 37But your communicacion shalbe, yee, yee: nay, nay. For what soeuer is more then that, commeth of euel.

Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17–23; Luke 6:27–36)

38Ye haue herde howe it is sayde: An eye for an eye, a toth for a toth. 39But I saye vnto you: that ye resist not euell. But whosoeuer geueth the a blowe on thy right cheke, turne to him the other also. 40And yf eny man will sue the at the lawe, & take awaye thy coate, let him haue thy cloake also. 41And who so compelleth the to go a myle, go wt hym twayne. 42Geue to hym that axeth: and from hym that wolde borowe, turne not awaye.

43Ye haue herde, how it is saide: thou shalt loue thyne neghboure, & hate thyne enemy. 44But I saye vnto you: loue youre enemies: Blesse the that cursse you: Do good to the that hate you: Praye for the which do you wronge and persecute you, 45that ye maye be the chyldern of youre father which is in heauen: for he maketh his sonne to aryse on the euel and on the good, and sendeth his rayne on the iust and vniuste. 46For yf ye loue them which loue you, what rewarde shall ye haue? Do not the Publicans eue so? 47And yf ye be frendly to youre brethren onlye: what singuler thynge do ye? Do not the Publicans also lyke wyse? 48Ye shall therfore be perfecte, euen as youre father in heaue is perfecte.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

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