People from many places come to Jesus
17 After Jesus had chosen these 12 men, they all came down the mountain. He stopped and he stood on a flat place. A large crowd of his disciples stood around him. There were also many people from Jerusalem, and from other towns of Judea, and from places on the coast near Tyre and Sidon. 18 These people had all come to hear Jesus teach. Those people who were ill wanted him to make them well. He also made well those people who had bad spirits. 19 All the people were trying to touch him, because he was using great power to make each person well.
20 Jesus looked at his disciples. He spoke this message to them:
‘Happy are you people who are poor.
The kingdom of God belongs to you.
21 Happy are you people who are hungry now.
God will feed you until you are full.
Happy are you people who are crying now.
Later, you will laugh.
6:21See Matthew 5:3-6. Jesus is talking about people who know that they need God to help them. ‘Happy’ here means that God has blessed people who are like this. They may not always feel happy, but they are in a good place, a happy place. God will take care of them. 22 People may hate you, because you believe in me, the Son of Man. They may say bad things against you and chase you away from them. They may say that you are very bad. When that happens, be happy. 23 God will prepare many good things for you in heaven. So be very happy when people do these bad things to you! Jump up and down because you are so happy. Their ancestors did the same bad things to God's prophets long ago.
24 Listen, you people who are rich.
You have a comfortable life now,
but it will be very bad for you.
25 Listen, you people who have plenty of food to eat now.
It will be very bad for you and you will be hungry.
Listen, you people who are laughing now.
It will be very bad for you.
You will be sad and you will cry.
26 If people always say good things about you now, it will be very bad for you. Their ancestors also said good things about the false prophets long ago.’
