Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible





"A person shall not take a pair of millstones or an upper millstone, for {he is taking necessities of life as a pledge}.

'If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years, and in the seventh he will go out as free for nothing. If he comes in single, he will go out single. If he is the husband of a wife, his wife will go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears for him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and [the slave] will go out single. read more.
But if the slave explicitly says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free," his master will present him to God and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.

" 'If you lend money [to] my people, [to] the needy with you, you will not be to him as a creditor; you will not {charge him interest}. If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown, because it is his only garment; it is his cloak for his skin. In what will he sleep? {And} when he cries out to me, I will hear, because I [am] gracious.

And when you sell something to your fellow citizen or [you] buy from your neighbor's hand, you must not oppress {one another}. You must buy from your fellow citizen according to [the] number of years after the Jubilee; he must sell to you according to [the] number of years of yield. You must increase its price {according to a greater number of years}, but you must decrease its price {according to a lesser number of years}, because he is selling [its] yields to you. read more.
And you must not oppress {one another}, but you shall revere your God, because I [am] Yahweh, your God.

" 'And if your countryman becomes poor and {if he becomes dependent on you}, then you shall support him [like] an alien and [like] a temporary resident, and he shall live with you. You must not take interest or usury from him, but you shall revere your God, and your countryman shall live with you. You must not give your money to him with interest or give your food for profit.

And this [is] the manner of the remission of debt: every {creditor} shall remit his claim that he holds against his neighbor, and he shall not exact payment [from] his brother because there remission of debt has been proclaimed unto Yahweh. [With respect to] the foreigner you may exact payment, but {you must remit} what shall be [owed] to you [with respect to] your brother.

"{You shall not charge your brother interest on money}, interest on food, or interest on anything that one could lend on interest You may lend on interest to the foreigner, but to your countryman you may not lend on interest, so that Yahweh your God may bless you {in all your undertakings} in {the land where you are going}, {in order to take possession of it}.

"When you make a loan to your neighbor, a loan of any kind, you shall not go into his house {to take his pledge}. You shall wait outside, and the man [to] whom you [are] lending, he shall bring the pledge outside to you. And if [he is] a needy man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. read more.
You shall certainly return the pledge to him {as the sun sets}, so that he may sleep in his cloak and may bless you, and it shall be [considered] righteousness {on your behalf} {before} Yahweh your God.

And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]!



"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'Hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. read more.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. read more.
Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back]. And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them. "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.


And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples [and] said, "Blessed [are] the poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed [are] those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed [are] those who weep now, Because you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile [you] and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. read more.
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward [is] great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same [things] to the prophets. "But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are satisfied now, because you will be hungry. Woe, you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. Woe whenever all people speak well of you, for their fathers used to do the same [things] to the false prophets. "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back]. And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them. "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful! "And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure--pressed down, shaken, overflowing--they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return." And he also told them a parable: "Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, [can he]? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not superior to [his] teacher, but everyone, [when he] is fully trained, will be like his teacher. And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye? How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye! "For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of [his] evil [treasury] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell [you]? "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them--I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And [when] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. But the one who hears [my words] and does not do [them] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed--and the collapse of that house was great!"


And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.


"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'Hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. read more.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. read more.
Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back]. And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them. "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

For Yahweh your God, he [is] God of the gods and Lord of the lords, the great and mighty God, the awesome [one] who {is not partial}, and he does not take bribes. [And he] executes justice for the orphan and widow, and [he is] one who loves [the] alien, to give to them food and clothing. And you shall love the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.


Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for [what is] good in the sight of all people. If [it is] possible on your [part], be at peace with all people. Do not take revenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to [God's] wrath, for it is written, "Vengeance [is] mine, I will repay," says the Lord. read more.
But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him [something] to drink; for [by] doing this, you will heap up coals of fire upon his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, {let him have} your outer garment also. read more.
And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. read more.
Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back]. And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them. "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!


And he came down with them [and] stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured. And the whole crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing [them] all. read more.
And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples [and] said, "Blessed [are] the poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed [are] those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed [are] those who weep now, Because you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile [you] and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward [is] great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same [things] to the prophets. "But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are satisfied now, because you will be hungry. Woe, you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. Woe whenever all people speak well of you, for their fathers used to do the same [things] to the false prophets. "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back]. And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them. "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful! "And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure--pressed down, shaken, overflowing--they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return." And he also told them a parable: "Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, [can he]? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not superior to [his] teacher, but everyone, [when he] is fully trained, will be like his teacher. And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye? How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye! "For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of [his] evil [treasury] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell [you]? "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them--I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And [when] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. But the one who hears [my words] and does not do [them] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed--and the collapse of that house was great!"



"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'Hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust.

Thus says Yahweh: "Stand at [the] roads and look, and ask for [the] ancient paths, where the way of the good [is], and walk in it, and find rest for your inner selves. But they said, 'We will not walk [in it].'

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ, not {while being watched}, as people pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to people, read more.
[because you] know that each one of you, whatever good he should do, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

And you shall do [what is] right and good in the eyes of Yahweh, so that {it shall go well} for you and [so that] you may go and you may take possession of the good land that Yahweh swore for your ancestors,

And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same! And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]! But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for [there] is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God. So then, the one who resists authority resists the ordinance [which is] from God, and those who resist will receive condemnation on themselves. For rulers are not a [cause of] terror for a good deed, but for bad [conduct]. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what [is] good, and you will have praise from it,