18. I assure you that nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until it has all been done.
19. “A person should obey every command in the law, even one that does not seem important. Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches others not to obey it will be the least important in God’s kingdom. But whoever obeys the law and teaches others to obey it will be great in God’s kingdom.
20. I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not more pleasing to God than they are, you will never enter God’s kingdom.
21. “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Any person who commits murder will be judged.’
22. But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23. “So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you?
24. Leave your gift there and go make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift.
25. “If anyone wants to take you to court, make friends with them quickly. Try to do that before you get to the court. If you don’t, they might hand you over to the judge. And the judge will hand you over to a guard, who will throw you into jail.
26. I assure you that you will not leave there until you have paid everything you owe.
27. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
28. But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind.