With the Beatitudes, Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount – and turns the world upside down. Blessed are not the strong and successful, but the poor, the sorrowful, the meek. Here you will find the text of the Beatitudes, their parallel in Luke and further verses, a total of 20 Bible verses.
The Beatitudes in Matthew 5
The nine Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount.
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Blessed are they who are poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5,3HappinessKingdom of God
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Blessed are they who mourn; for they shall be comforted.
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Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5,5Meekness
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Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5,6DesireRighteousness
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Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 5,7Mercy
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Blessed are they who are pure in heart; for they shall see God.
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Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
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Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5,10Persecution
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Blessed are ye, when men shall revile and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil things against you falsely, because ye are the children of God. Be joyful and excellent of heart; for your reward is great in heaven.
Matthew 5,11-12aPersecution
Further Beatitudes
The Bible also declares people blessed in other places.
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And he lifted up his eyes above his disciples and said: Blessed are ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye who hunger here; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye who weep here; for ye shall laugh.
Luke 6,20-21
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Blessed is he that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth with the scornful, but hath pleasure in the law of the LORD, and meditateth on his law day and night!
Psalm 1,1-2Happiness
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Blessed is he unto whom the transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is covered!
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Blessed are the men that take thee for their strength, and turn from their hearts unto thee.
Psalm 84,6Happiness
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Jesus saith unto him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou believest. Blessed are they that see not, and yet believe!
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But he said: Yea, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luke 11,28HappinessWord of God
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Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for after he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.
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And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me: Write: Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD from now on. Yea, the Spirit saith, that they rest from their labours; for their works follow them.
Revelation 14,13Death
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Blessed are they that keep his commandments, that they may have power to enter in through the gate of the tree of life, and enter into the city.
Revelation 22,14
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Blessed is he that heareth, and keepeth the words of my mouth, that he may watch at my door daily, and that he may wait at the bars of my door.
Proverbs 8,34
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Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and his trust is in the LORD.
Jeremiah 17,7
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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What does "blessed" mean?
The Greek word makarios means "happy", "admirable", "blessed". Jesus declares people happy who have nothing to smile about by human standards: the poor, the sorrowful, the persecuted. He does not do this because poverty or sorrow are good, but because God turns to them. "Blessed" is therefore not a pious word for happiness in the afterlife, but a promise for now: God is on your side.
The Beatitudes in Matthew and Luke
Matthew presents nine Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,3-12), Luke presents four in the so-called Sermon on the Plain, supplemented by four woes (Luke 6,20-26). In Matthew it says "Blessed are they who are poor in spirit", in Luke simply "Blessed are ye poor". Both versions show the same thing: The kingdom of God belongs to those who have nothing to show for it.
You will find verses about happiness in the biblical sense at Bible verses about happiness, about meekness at Bible verses about meekness and about peace at Bible verses about peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Beatitudes are there?
In Matthew 5,3-12 there are nine Beatitudes, in Luke 6,20-22 there are four.
What does "Blessed are they who are poor in spirit" mean?
It refers to people who know that they stand before God empty-handed. Jesus promises them the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5,3).
