Read the Bible
KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Matthew 5:23–25

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Share
Email linkOpen a new message in your email app
Read chapterReport
More

PASSAGE SELECTION

Build from either side

3 selected · 45 available

Add or remove verses within this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

All 46 ranked passages are available for comparison.

Matthew 5:23Cross-references · 17 ranked passages

  1. Open

    25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

  2. Open

    2If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

    3Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

    4Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

    5Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

    6And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:

  3. Open

    24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

  4. Open

    4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  5. Open

    19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

  6. Luke 19:8Rank 6
    Open

    8And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

  7. Open

    22And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

  8. Hosea 6:6Rank 8
    Open

    6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

  9. Open

    21¶ I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

    22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

    23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

    24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

  10. Open

    10¶ Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

    11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

    12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

    13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

    14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

    15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

    16¶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

    17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

  11. Open

    20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

  12. Open

    44The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

  13. Open

    63That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

  14. Open

    15¶ And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

    16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

    17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

  15. Open

    16¶ Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty:

    17Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.

  16. Open

    9¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

  17. Open

    21¶ And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

    22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

Matthew 5:24Cross-references · 12 ranked passages

  1. Open

    16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

  2. Open

    17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

    18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

  3. Open

    15¶ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

    16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

    17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

  4. Open

    7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

    8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

  5. Job 42:8Rank 5
    Open

    8Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

  6. Open

    9Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

  7. Open

    7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

    8Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

  8. Open

    8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

  9. Open

    28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

  10. Open

    13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

    14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

    15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

    16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

    17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

    18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

  11. Open

    23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

  12. Mark 9:50Rank 12
    Open

    50Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Matthew 5:25Cross-references · 17 ranked passages

  1. Open

    58¶ When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

    59I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

  2. Open

    8Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

  3. Open

    13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

  4. Open

    6¶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

    7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  5. Open

    31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

    32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

  6. Open

    7Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

  7. Open

    24¶ Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

    25When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

  8. Open

    26And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

    27And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

  9. Open

    17For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

  10. Job 22:21Rank 10
    Open

    21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

  11. Open

    1MY son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

    2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

    3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

    4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

    5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

  12. Open

    2(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

  13. Open

    3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

    4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

    5And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

    6¶ And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

    7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

    8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

  14. Open

    3And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

    4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

    5And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

    6Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

    7And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

    8And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

    9And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

    10And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

    11Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

  15. Open

    6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

  16. Open

    17Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

    18¶ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

    19And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

    20And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.

    21Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

    22So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

    23And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

    24And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

    25Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

    26Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

    27And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

    28I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

    29Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

    30And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

    31That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

    32¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

    33And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

    34For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

    35So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

  17. Open

    13¶ And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

    14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

    15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

    16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

    17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

    18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

    19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

    20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

    21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

    22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 5:23

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

gift

↗

Sense 1: Something given or bestowed; a present. Sense 2: An endowment or ability. Sense 3: A bribe.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

brother

↗

Sense 1: A male sibling; a near kinsman. Sense 2: A fellow member of a people or faith.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

against

↗

Opposed to, contrary to, facing, toward, or in contact with; in some settings, exposed to or ready for a stated time.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 5:24

COMBINED MEANING

leave

↗

1. To depart, cease from, abandon, forsake, release, permit, entrust, bequeath, cause or allow to remain, omit, exclude, or not take. 2. As a noun, permission or liberty to act, including permission to depart.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

gift

↗

Sense 1: Something given or bestowed; a present. Sense 2: An endowment or ability. Sense 3: A bribe.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

before

↗

Earlier than in time; in front of; in the presence of; or prior in order or rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

reconciled

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of reconcile. Sense 1: To restore to peace, agreement, fellowship, or favour. Sense 2: To cleanse or make atonement.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

brother

↗

Sense 1: A male sibling; a near kinsman. Sense 2: A fellow member of a people or faith.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 5:25

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

art

↗

1. The second-person singular present form of be: are, when one person is addressed. 2. Skill, craft, or skilled workmanship used to make or prepare something.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

lest

↗

For fear that, to prevent the possibility that, or so that an undesired or warned-of result may not occur.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

time

↗

A particular portion or part of duration, whether past, present or future.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

deliver

↗

Sense 1: To rescue, save, free, or bring safely out of danger or bondage. Sense 2: To hand over, give up, or place into another's power or possession. Sense 3: To bring forth, convey, declare, or commit something to another. Sense 4: To give birth or be delivered of a child.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

judge

↗

Sense 1: A person or authority who hears, discerns, decides, governs, vindicates, condemns, or administers justice. Sense 2: To examine, distinguish, determine, form a verdict, rule, govern, condemn, punish, vindicate, or call to account.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

officer

↗

A person appointed, commissioned, or authorized to perform a public, royal, military, administrative, or judicial duty.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

cast

↗

1. To throw, send, put, lay, or direct a person or thing into, upon, around, toward, or away from a place, or into a stated condition. 2. To put away, reject, expel, remove, overthrow, or bring down. 3. To put forth or use a lot for choosing, dividing, or assigning. 4. To form an object by pouring molten material into a mould. 5. To shed, drop, or bring forth young, fruit, leaves, or flowers. 6. To raise, form, or prepare a bank, mount, trench, or way. 7. In "cast ... in his teeth," to reproach or charge something against him. 8. As a noun, the distance something may be thrown.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

FOLLOW THE THEME

Related Concepts

Choose a connected KJV word or phrase to find where it appears in scripture.

READ THE PASSAGE

View in context

Suggested context · Matthew 5:21–26

The selected passage is highlighted. Context is a study aid.

5:21¶ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

5:22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

5:23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Selected passage

5:24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Selected passage

5:25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Selected passage

5:26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

LOCAL PASTOR DIRECTORY

Ask a Pastor Near You

Enter a postal code or city and region to find nearby pastors committed to holding fast the faithful word.

Search runs in your browser using downloaded location data. It does not contact churches or a geocoding service. Approximate city and postal-area locations from GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.