Matthew 5 Comparison: Bible in Basic English vs New Heart English Bible
Matthew 5
1And seeing great masses of people he went up into the mountain; and when he was seated his disciples came to him.
2And with these words he gave them teaching, saying,
3Happy are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4Happy are those who are sad: for they will be comforted.
5Happy are the gentle: for the earth will be their heritage.
6Happy are those whose heart's desire is for righteousness: for they will have their desire.
7Happy are those who have mercy: for they will be given mercy.
8Happy are the clean in heart: for they will see God.
9Happy are the peacemakers: for they will be named sons of God.
10Happy are those who are attacked on account of righteousness: for the kingdom of heaven will be theirs.
11Happy are you when men give you a bad name, and are cruel to you, and say all evil things against you falsely, because of me.
12Be glad and full of joy; for great is your reward in heaven: for so were the prophets attacked who were before you.
13You are the salt of the earth; but if its taste goes from the salt, how will you make it salt again? it is then good for nothing but to be put out and crushed under foot by men.
14You are the light of the world. A town put on a hill may be seen by all.
15And a burning light is not put under a vessel, but on its table; so that its rays may be shining on all who are in the house.
16Even so let your light be shining before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17Let there be no thought that I have come to put an end to the law or the prophets. I have not come for destruction, but to make complete.
18Truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will in any way be taken from the law, till all things are done.
19Whoever then goes against the smallest of these laws, teaching men to do the same, will be named least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who keeps the laws, teaching others to keep them, will be named great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say to you, If your righteousness is not greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never go into the kingdom of heaven.
21You have knowledge that it was said in old times, You may not put to death; and, Whoever puts to death will be in danger of being judged:
22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of being judged; and he who says to his brother, Raca, will be in danger from the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, You foolish one, will be in danger of the hell of fire.
23If then you are making an offering at the altar and there it comes to your mind that your brother has something against you,
24While your offering is still before the altar, first go and make peace with your brother, then come and make your offering.
25Come to an agreement quickly with him who has a cause against you at law, while you are with him on the way, for fear that he may give you up to the judge and the judge may give you to the police and you may be put into prison.
26Truly I say to you, You will not come out from there till you have made payment of the very last farthing.
27You have knowledge that it was said, You may not have connection with another man's wife:
28But I say to you that everyone whose eyes are turned on a woman with desire has had connection with her in his heart.
29And if your right eye is a cause of trouble to you, take it out and put it away from you; because it is better to undergo the loss of one part, than for all your body to go into hell.
30And if your right hand is a cause of trouble to you, let it be cut off and put it away from you; because it is better to undergo the loss of one part, than for all your body to go into hell.
31Again, it was said, Whoever puts away his wife has to give her a statement in writing for this purpose:
32But I say to you that everyone who puts away his wife for any other cause but the loss of her virtue, makes her false to her husband; and whoever takes her as his wife after she is put away, is no true husband to her.
33Again, you have knowledge that it was said in old times, Do not take false oaths, but give effect to your oaths to the Lord:
34But I say to you, Take no oaths at all: not by the heaven, because it is the seat of God;
35Or by the earth, because it is the resting-place for his foot; or by Jerusalem, because it is the town of the great King.
36You may not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.
37But let your words be simply, Yes or No: and whatever is more than these is of the Evil One.
38You have knowledge that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say to you, Do not make use of force against an evil man; but to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned.
40And if any man goes to law with you and takes away your coat, do not keep back your robe from him.
41And whoever makes you go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who comes with a request, and keep not your property from him who would for a time make use of it.
43You have knowledge that it was said, Have love for your neighbour, and hate for him who is against you:
44But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you;
45So that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for his sun gives light to the evil and to the good, and he sends rain on the upright man and on the sinner.
46For if you have love for those who have love for you, what credit is it to you? do not the tax-farmers the same?
47And if you say, Good day, to your brothers only, what do you do more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
48Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.
Matthew 5
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
2Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who 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 those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11"Blessed are you when men insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
14You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who 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.
17"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18For truly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the Law, until all things are accomplished.
19Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.'
22But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;'
28but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31"It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,'
32but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
33"Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,'
34but I tell you, do not swear at all: neither by 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 shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
38"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'
39But I tell you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.
41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall 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 children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do than others? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Understanding Bible in Basic English vs New Heart English Bible in Matthew 5
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
A simplified translation using a limited English vocabulary for clarity and accessibility. Helpful for new readers, ESL learners, and quick comprehension. Great for devotional reading and getting the big picture of each passage.
New Heart English Bible (NHEB)
A modern public domain translation with clear, contemporary English. Designed for readability while staying close to the source text. A solid option for both daily reading and study.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Matthew 5 in the Bible in Basic English and New Heart English 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 be shining before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
"Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
