Matthew 5 Comparison: American Standard Version vs Berean Study Bible
Matthew 5
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him:
2and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
10Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.
16Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.
23If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,
24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.
27Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.
30And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.
31It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.
33Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.
38Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:
44but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
45that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
46For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
48Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5
1When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him,
2and He began to teach them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.
31It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
34But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.
38You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’
39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;
40if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;
41and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Understanding American Standard Version vs Berean Study Bible in Matthew 5
American Standard Version (ASV)
A highly literal translation known for accuracy and adherence to the original Hebrew and Greek. Consistent word choices make it excellent for careful study and cross-referencing. A strong pick for readers who want a precise, classic-modern English Bible.
Berean Study Bible (BSB)
A modern translation balancing readability with faithfulness to the original texts. Written in clear, contemporary English for both reading and study. A strong all-around choice for daily use.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Matthew 5 in the American Standard Version and Berean Study Bible. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Matthew 5:16
"Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
