1. Now when he saw the crowds,
he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2. and he began to teach them, saying:
3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
will be filled.
7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
7. To keep me from becoming
conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given
me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power
is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then
I am strong.